My Girl Friday
by LightHeartLoreli
Summary: Sequel to I'll Be Seeing You - Dr. Carlisle Cullen is in trouble and there's only one detective in Chi-Town who can help. Can Rose convince Edward to take the case and heal the rift between Edward and his father? Mystery? Sexy times? We've still got 'em!
1. Skylark

A/N - "My Girl Friday" is a sequel to our eight chapter novella "I'll Be Seeing You" which can be found on our profile. We hope you enjoy this installment of our little Roseward, they own us forever.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

* * *

**RPOV**

My fingers couldn't stop moving.

They traced the hard lines of the soft mohair seats.

They skimmed the full skirt of my dress and flitted to the neckline, playing with the collar.

My fingers missed what they could not touch. Edward.

_I_ missed what they could not touch.

Looking to do something, _anything_ to keep busy, my fingers continued along their journey. They ran to my necklace, touching each pearl that sat along the delicate strand. I chose the necklace because I knew it was a favorite of Edward's. I found it odd that he liked it so much since it was so simple and I was anything but _simple_. I only hoped he would be back and able to see it today.

My fingers found the pin that held my hair in place and secured it in the tightly wrapped chignon sitting at the nape of my neck. I had spent much time and effort on my appearance this morning. More so than usual, as of late. In the past I had been all about my morning routine, sticking to the regimen that had served me well over the years.

Recently though, I had made allowances. When Edward was by my side in the morning, it was easy to let my habits fall by the wayside. The past few mornings he hadn't been there to lure me back to bed or to playfully shoo away when he stood behind me, caressing my arms and trying to distract me with kisses. Once more I had fallen back into my morning routine. _I'll willingly admit, I'd rather have him than the old routine any day of the week._

I sat alone in the limousine, resting after a tedious day. Emmett had a few more errands to run before the day drew to a close; rather than have him drive me back to the estate or Edward's apartment just to go out again, I opted to just wait for him in the car. He periodically walked by the car, dropping off parcels or just waving as he walked past with small items. It would probably have been easier for him to simply go from store to store, but Emmett seemed to have adjusted his routine to include passing me in the Fleetwood.

Emmett would never actually admit that dropping off the packages was an excuse to check in on me. I knew better than to bring it up. He'd have brushed it off and said that I was being silly. I saw through his cellophane act however but I still I appreciated the thoughtful sentiment behind his action. The past months hadn't been easy ones for me and it seemed that I was being treated by many people with kid-gloves, despite my requests to the contrary. Anyone who didn't know me would consider their actions to be normal. However, I knew differently. I could tell the subtle differences, the shared glances and the diligent watching while they thought I didn't notice. I noticed everything. How could I not? These days I tended to over-analyze everything, but I guess that's only natural, given my circumstances.

Even Jasper had been handling me with care. We had been meeting weekly with his lawyer and had spoken earlier today at the Cook County Jail. One advantage of Jasper's incarceration was that he was a captive audience, which gave us time to talk about the events that had taken place in January in more detail. I was finally able to understand more about his motives, his thoughts and fears, his feelings for our father and his life, and how lost and alone he had felt. I knew that I had him to blame for our father's death but my harsh feelings toward him were dissipating. The lawyer I had hired had offered us some good options and we were working through the trying times. Despite all of the heartache I had been dealt recently, my heart knew enough to soar with the thought of Edward.

He treated me just as he always had, although in truth he didn't know me prior to my life being in flux. However, knowing Edward the way I had come to over the months, I knew that it wasn't his style to tiptoe around my feelings. He challenged me and infuriated me more times than could be mentioned and I'm fairly certain he felt I did the same to him. I never knew what to expect with him and he had told me on more than one occasion that I wasn't like any of the other dames he'd ever come across. I chose to take that as the compliment it was meant to be. He made me feel like myself, he was the one that anchored me and didn't let me drift aimlessly.

With Edward there was no routine; there were no rules, no expectations as to when and where we should be. We just _were._ Each of us finding comfort, solace, and companionship in the other. When those feelings morphed into a relationship, I wasn't sure how we would handle the formality that normally came with such things. Somehow, we made it work; the majority of the time, in fact, it worked quite well.

The cold of the winter had finally passed and spring was quickly turning into the long days of summer. The past five days that Edward had been away certainly felt the longest of all, but, somehow, the nights seemed even longer than the days. He had to leave town to trace someone who had skipped bail. It was a pretty cut and dry case, and, in the private detective business, he dealt with these more often than not. When we had first met, I thought he'd be dodging bullets and dealing with fellows of questionable reputation much more than he actually did. Not that I minded; I liked him safe, although I'd probably never tell him that. I'd probably never need to _tell_ him, he was far too perceptive. It was one of the challenges of falling for a private detective.

My favorite cases were those where I got to help him. I got a kick out of watching him while he worked, so I looked forward to the times he'd call on me for assistance. He was pretty amazing while he worked, serious and determined. The ones I liked the least were the ones that took him away from me.

Cases like the one he was currently wrapping up.

Not that I had much time to dwell; work had kept me busy and entertained during the week. We were working on expanding the La Bella corporate offices and I had a board meeting earlier in the week regarding opening another location in California. While many businesses were suffering during wartime, the cosmetics industry was still flourishing. Our Patriotic line continued to be a success and the "A Matter of Face" campaign had only pushed sales up further. Yes, during the week the hours flew and I had enough to keep me occupied.

Furthermore, the evenings were comfortable at home, although the loneliness seeped in a bit more there. As much as the staff protested, I often had them sit with me during dinner so we could talk about the day. In any other home it would probably be frowned upon, but they were my only remaining family and we felt a mutual comfort sharing our days with one another. To keep my mind occupied, I often wandered around the house and learned different skills. Sam was currently teaching me about cooking, Riley had shown me how to prune the rose bushes that decorated the garden, and sometimes I'd join Emmett in the garage and he'd teach me car mechanics, for which I seemed to have a natural talent.

I leaned back, tilting my head to rest on the backseat of the Cadillac Fleetwood, and watched as the sun set through the buildings of Chicago. The sky was dimly lit by the sinking sun, the swirling clouds glowing in pastel lavenders and fiery oranges, the edges outlined in brilliant bronze, like his hair. The sunset was brilliant in its beauty, yet I was grateful for the estate being on Lake Michigan. While I had many of the benefits of city living, I was always able to enjoy the feel of open space and see the stars of the Chicago night sky unobstructed. Edward and I had spent a night recently on a blanket in the garden, stargazing. He pointed out different constellations in the early summer sky and told me their stories. Some warmed my heart while others were melancholic. Wrapped in his arms, I listened to the stories and thanked _my_ lucky stars once more for bringing him to me.

Subconsciously, my mind had once again shifted back to thoughts of Edward. I expected him to return either tonight or tomorrow but hadn't heard from him since he phoned last night.

I sighed. The heaving breath did not make me feel better the way it usually did, so I tried again. _Sigh._

It didn't work.

I rolled my eyes at my foolishness. _When did I turn into such a pathetic sap?_

Looking out the window once more, I tried to think of something other than Edward. I watched as a family walked down the street, the four all walking hand in hand. It looked like they were celebrating a birthday and heading either to or from dinner. I was envious of the nuclear family, I would be remiss if I tried to deny the fact. Instead of focusing on the family dynamic, I craned my neck to see where they were going and watched as they entered a local Chinese restaurant. It made me smile and my stomach grumbled slightly at the thought of food, even though Emmett and I had stopped for a late lunch. I couldn't wait to return to Hwang's with Edward and try the next thing on the menu. The first time we went I didn't know what to get so Edward whispered in my ear, suggesting that we just start at the top and work our way down. Then he smirked. I stuck my tongue out at his lewd suggestion but that just resulted in him smirking even more. Quickly, my tongue retreated back into my mouth as I blushed. _And once again, I'm thinking about Edward._

Sighing once more, I forced my mind to shift gears and instead thought back to the surprising phone call I had received earlier in the day from Carlisle Cullen. Dr. Cullen was Edward's father, although I never knew him in that context. I had a sneaking suspicion that Edward would not be pleased when he learned of the nature of the call and wasn't sure when I planned to bring it up with him. As it were, I wasn't sure when he was scheduled to return but I had other plans for him once he arrived.

I saw a man walking down the street, nearing the car. It looked like Edward. _Fantastic, now my mind is playing tricks on me. _I watched as he drew closer still and realized that no other man could walk down the street with the presence and finesse in which he carried himself. He slowed as he approached the car, smiling at me through the double panes of glass that separated us. The fingers that itched to touch him beckoned him to me, curling in a 'come hither' motion. The smile shifted into a smirk as his long fingers reached to open the door.

He slid into the car, deftly closing the door behind him and looked over at me while the smirk remained in place on his lips. Although I had seen him earlier in the week, my eyes couldn't help but devour him, absorbing his entire being. He looked a little rumpled, his suit no longer pressed from when I had it cleaned earlier in the week. He sat across from me, his back to the front of the car. Swiftly, he removed his hat and placed it on the seat next to him. Our eyes connected and in his I saw the same sentiments echoed back that I'd felt for the past five days.

I didn't say anything. He didn't either. Silently I moved across the short distance to him, not stopping until I was on his lap, my legs straddling him, the full skirt of my dress flaring around his legs, and my arms wrapped around him.

My fingers moved of their own accord.

They danced through his hair and tugged on it slightly.

They traced the hard lines of his angular face to his rough lips.

They skimmed down to the lapels of his jacket and gripped, pulling him impossibly closer. Our clothed chests pressed together, our ragged breaths mingled as I bent my head slightly toward him to catch his lips with mine.

His fingers couldn't stop moving.

They clutched at the hard lines of the soft mohair seats.

They skimmed the full skirt of my dress and flitted to the neckline, playing with the collar.

They ran to the pearls that sat on my neck, touching each pearl that sat along the strand, as mine had done, before continuing to the tightly wrapped chignon that sat at the nape of my neck, pulling my hair loose and causing it to tumble down my back.

"Hi," he breathed out, pushing up my chin with the knuckle on his forefinger before running it over stroke my cheek. I picked up his fedora from the seat and plunked it on my head.

"Hello there," I returned, preening slightly as I took his hand from my face and wrapped it around my back. He chuckled at my attempts of to get even closer to him.

"I'm a lucky son-of-a-bitch, coming back to you."

"Yes," I agreed. "You most certainly are. I missed you."

"Ahhh, you know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder?" We sat nose to nose, his hands splayed across my back, the hat tilted back on my head.

"My heart is already fond. We didn't need to test the theory anymore." My lips ghosted his as I spoke. "Daddy always told me that we should display our feelings with actions, not with words." My lips were on his then and his fingers danced underneath my skirt, tracing patterns onto my stockinged legs. We hadn't spoken the words that conveyed the meaning behind my statement. But the thought behind it always lingered there.

_He's home. _

**EPOV**

I walked out of the police station and quickly lit up a Lucky, trying to rid my mouth of the bitter taste that always lingered after paying up on a big debt. This time it tasted like police precinct coffee and stale doughnuts. A little over a week ago, I'd lost seventy five bucks to Sgt. Swan, someone I had _sworn_ to myself I'd never play poker with again. He always beat me, and I couldn't figure out how; I could never get a read on him. _Sneaky bastard,_ I thought with a fond smirk as I set a brisk pace down the street.

I'd only stopped at my place long enough to drop off my suitcase, then I headed to the police station eager to pay my debt out of the payment for the case I'd just wrapped up in Indianapolis. I'd been chasing down a bail jumper, a con artist who proved to be much more elusive than I had anticipated. I found him late last night in a sleazy motel just outside Indy city, sniveling like a coward when I busted in on him with my gun drawn. I handcuffed him and took him to the bail bondsman, happy that my job was done and I could go back to Chicago, back to _her._

It had been five days since I saw Rosie, and my feet felt light as they carried me down the sidewalk in my black wing-tip shoes. Five days was far, _far_ too fucking long. We didn't spend every day together, but five consecutive days away from her silky curls and the scent of her roses had taken their toll. My craving for her was like that of a raging alcoholic again, desperate for a swig of the proverbial scotch. My feet were eager to get me to my apartment where a hot shower and fresh clothes were waiting. Then I'd call a cab and go home to Rosie. The five days were finally over.

Over the last few months I'd let her into my life more than anyone else before. While it was terrifying to be so honest and vulnerable with someone, she kept me grounded and never let me take myself too seriously. Being a moody, temperamental bastard, I needed her to give me a swift kick in the ass from time to time, and boy did she ever.

She took care of me, though, too, in the most endearing, silent way. I never saw her pick up all my shirts and arrange to have them dry cleaned and delivered. The first time the delivery boy showed up with my clean, freshly-starched shirts I was at a loss, but paid the guy once he explained that Ms. Hale had made the "arrangement." She'd also arranged to have groceries delivered, just a few basic staples, nothing fancy. Coffee, eggs, bacon, which were the only things I was able to cook without fucking up beyond recognition, and fruit that I never fucking ate. I admit it was nice to have joe in the place, and frying up the occasional egg on the rare nights I wasn't at Rosie's house made me feel like she was right there, taking care of me.

As I turned the corner around Bentley's Auto Parts Store, I started whistling "Skylark" like the love-sick sap I was and halfheartedly cringed at what a Sally I was turning into. With my eyes on the ground and my thoughts wrapped up in white satin sheets with Rosalie, I didn't see the brick wall of a man I was about to bump into. My Fedora shifted on my head with the impact and I looked up. "Emmett?" I said, smiling, and stuck out my hand, surprised to see him in this part of town.

"Edward!" He said pleasantly and shook my hand. "Back today? Thank God! Rose has been bored to tears. She's even taken to harassing me in the garage," he said with mock annoyance, rolling his eyes. I chuckled. "No, she's great with tools, really good actually," he added appreciatively. I chuckled again, thinking: _of course she is. _

"What are you doing on this side of town?" I asked, wondering immediately if she was with him.

"The Fleetwood needed new wiper blades," he said and threw a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the shop he's just exited, "and Bentley, being an old friend of my family's, is the only place I come to for parts," he explained with a smirk. He knew what I really wanted to know, and he was going to make me squirm and come out and say it.

"Where is she, Emmett?" I asked, a little too eagerly.

"In the car, parked down the street," he pointed.

"Thanks, are you coming?" I asked, hoping he would say no.

"I've got a few more errands, I'll be back to drive you home in a minute," he said. I smiled and turned to make way to _her _and my pulse started to pick up as I drew closer to the limo.

_And there she is...my Rosie._

I could see her through the glass of the Fleetwood and I stopped to watch her...just...be _her_...for a moment. I'd missed watching her in the mornings as she floated around her bedroom, getting dressed and putting on the mask of cosmetics that hid her true beauty from the world. Sometimes I was able to keep it off her sweet face a little longer by coaxing her back to bed with kisses and other_...inducements,_ but only for a little while. The days that began with wrestling Rosie under her satin sheets always turned out to be _damn_ good days.

As I watched her from where I stood leaning up against a lamp post, I noted that she seemed restless. Her fingers fidgeted over her skirt, flitted over the bodice of her dress up to the collar before moving to the nape of her neck. Today, her hair was all gathered up off her face, very business-like and yet still so becoming. It showcased her long alabaster neck that I could never resist nibbling. Her fingers fondled each pearl of the necklace she wore, a wistful, faraway expression on her face. A soft smile played at her mouth for a moment before her shoulders slumped with a sigh so big I could _almost_ hear it. She looked up and noticed a family walking by; a fleeting flash of envy washed over her face as they entered the Chinese joint down the street. Her brow puckered into a frown and I couldn't be witness to her unhappiness any longer.

I pushed off the lamppost, determined to close the tiny distance that remained between us. I watched her expression change from sad indifference to disbelief then to joy as I approached. I couldn't hide my smile at her surprised reaction as I reached out and opened the car door.

I slid into the limo, sitting opposite her and removed my hat, laying it on the seat beside me. Her eyes told me how much she'd missed me as she sinuously moved off her seat and straddled me. My eyes widened in the same instant that my mouth twisted into a wicked grin.

_Exactly the reunion I was hoping for, Rosie._

Her hands danced up to my hair and pulled, before her fingertips left a trail of fire tracing my jaw and running over my lips. Her hands moved to the lapels of my jacket, gripping firmly and pulling me to her. The feel of her lips against mine was pure heaven after the hell of five days apart from her.

My hands moved from the soft mohair seats, along the hem of her full skirt that spread around us. They slid slowly up the bodice of her dress, to her pearls that I loved to see encircling her neck when she wore nothing else. I lightly caressed her cheek with one hand, the other found the pin holding her heavy tresses in place at the base of her neck and pulled it gently out. Her hair fell down her back in a tumble of golden silk and the scent of roses erupted in a cloud around me. I took a deep luxurious breath, reveling in the scent I'd missed more than I had realized.

"Hi," I finally whispered, pulling her chin up. She reached over and plucked my hat up off the seat, gracefully dropping it on her head at the perfect angle.

"Hello there," she murmured, taking my arm and wrapping it around her waist. I laughed. It felt like I couldn't get close enough to her either.

"I'm a lucky son-of-a-bitch, coming back to you." I admitted sincerely. I'd always been a son-of-a-bitch, but _she_ made me lucky.

"Yes," she agreed knowingly. "You most certainly are. I missed you."

"Ahhh, you know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder?" I queried as my nose brushed against hers. Absence had definitely had an effect; it had amplified the electricity that always flowed between us like a million strands of glowing, incandescent filament.

"My heart is already fond. We didn't need to test the theory anymore," she whispered against my lips as my hands slipped under her skirt and meandered up her thighs. "Daddy always told me that we should display our feelings with actions, not with words." She leaned forward and kissed me slowly, savoring me the same way I'd seen her savor chocolates, with leisurely, sinful indulgence. Her hands floated up to my temples and her fingers twisted little patterns in my hair. I tilted my head back and moaned, my hands gripping her thighs under her skirt. Her mouth moved eagerly down to my chin and nibbled all along my stubbled jaw to my ear.

"I _really_ missed you," she whispered breathlessly into my ear as she shifted herself into me restlessly.

_I missed you more._

"I can tell," I growled near her ear before taking her lobe between my teeth. Her thighs clenched against mine, and my eyes darted around the street to see if anyone would see what I was about to do next, when I realized Emmett was standing next to the car, gazing at me with one eyebrow raised and looking like the cat that ate the canary.

I groaned with annoyance. "As much as I'd like to show you exactly how much I missed you, we have company," I said near her ear.

"Company? More like an audience," he retorted, then whistled suggestively as he opened the driver's door and got in. "You two are lucky no coppers were walking by," he finished, chuckling under his breath and started the car.

I chanced a glance at Rose and not only was she more than a little pissed at Emmett's teasing, she was also blushing just a tiny bit, enough to betray a hint of embarrassment.

"To the house, Miss Rose?" Emmett asked as he shifted the stick into first gear.

"No, Emmett, to Edward's apartment, please," she replied and looked at me conspiratorially, giving my knee a firm squeeze with her fuck-me-red fingernailed hand.

_Exactly what I had in mind, Rosie._

* * *

All our beta love to KrisBCullen, and special ,3's to TheHeartOfLifeIsGood and BohemianBuffalo (we love the banner and Edwardville).

We hope to post updates on Fridays. If you leave a review, not only will we love you eternally, but we'll send you a little teaser from our next chapter too!

Until next time, Dolls!


	2. Body & Soul

A/N - "My Girl Friday" is a sequel to our eight chapter novella "I'll Be Seeing You" which can be found on our profile. And now for some sweet lemonade.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

* * *

**EPOV **

She watched Emmett disappear down the street before turning her vivid blue eyes on me, a coy and flirty fucking smile playing at the corners of her mouth. I took her hand and led her into the vestibule of my apartment and watched her walk in front of me, my hat still perched on her head and her flowing blond hair swaying as she walked. That wasn't the only thing that was swaying, watching her move _demanded_ my undivided attention. We were already at the door when I realized I hadn't taken out my key. I thrust my hand into my pocket to fish it out, but she beat me to it and pulled her copy from her handbag. The corner of my mouth turned up and I ran a hand through my hair, unable to hide the fact that her having a key to my place made me embarrassingly giddy. She slid the key into the lock, her eyes flashed to mine and we both knew beyond any doubt what was going to happen once we entered my apartment. Her smirking red lips drew my attention, as they so often did, and my gaze traveled over her in possessive anticipation. She wore a vermilion colored dress, secured by small white buttons down to her waist and cinched with a matching belt. I adored her in red, but I absolutely loved her in nothing.

_Patience, Cullen._

Her wrist turned the key in the lock, slowly forcing the latch to release. She opened the door and let herself in; I followed right behind her like a leopard stalking its prey. She sauntered to the desk and dropped her purse near the phone. I emptied the contents of my pockets: my smokes, Zippo, keys and handcuffs, onto the desk. After I took off my suit jacket and loosened my tie, I took off my holster and removed my Colt .32 and put them on the desk as well. Rosie went and turned on the radio before she sat down in my wooden desk chair, rolling up to the desk and propping her red high heels up on top of it. Benny Goodman's "Body and Soul" floated through the air as I watched the skirt of her dress fall back from her thigh revealing an hint of garter belt and silk stockings.

"Well?" she asked expectantly, taking my hat off and dropping it on the desk with a flourish. I laughed.

_Always so fucking demanding._

I went to her and leaned over her, tilting her face to mine with my finger. "After I shower," I promised and gave her a quick peck before turning and heading into the john for the quickest shower in history. On second thought...

"Want to join me?" I offered hopefully, immediately enthralled with the idea of her lathering me up. She looked tempted for a moment; a small smile flitted across her features for an instant but then she explained she didn't want to wash her makeup off, in case we went out later. She picked up the Chicago Tribune on my desk and started thumbing through it, her hint to me to get a fucking move on, and I grumbled under my breath about the ridiculousness of cold creams and rouge as I made my way to the shower... alone.

After I dried off, I wrapped the blue towel around my waist and exited the bathroom. Rose was standing at the desk, one hand on her hip and the other at her forehead. Her posture suggested she had misplaced something and was looking for it, to no avail.

"Lose something, baby doll?" I asked. She jumped, startled and turned to face me. She smiled a little sheepishly and my alarm went off; Rosie was many things, but never timid. I decided to put her feet to the fire just enough to make her..._ writhe._

"You know the punishment for snooping right, doll?" I teased, putting on my very best crooked smile for her.

"No," she answered, looking annoyed and reluctantly interested.

I reached behind her and plucked my handcuffs off the desk. "I'd have to take you into custody," I smirked, clicking one cuff around her right wrist. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers, the smallest hint of exasperation flashing through her expression. She couldn't fool me, though. I saw her lips begin to tremble.

"Are you going to read me my rights?" She quipped, trying really fucking hard to sound indignant.

"You have the right to submit and not make me use force," I whispered warningly.

"Do I get a trial?" she queried after a moment of hesitation, still trying to sound casual despite her breathy whisper.

I leaned in and nibbled her lip before answering. "You've already been convicted doll. I'm afraid it's time for sentencing. You've been found _very_ guilty," I murmured against her lips as my hands moved to unfasten the buttons of her dress. She trailed her fingertips up my stomach, swirling the remaining droplets of water on my chest and shoulders around in dewy patterns. It was my turn to savor her as I kissed her, relishing her taste. I'd missed her so much over the last five days. I had all the buttons unfastened quickly and started eagerly unbuckling her belt. A moment later, I pulled the dress off her shoulders and it pooled around her ankles as it fell off of her and onto the floor. Quickly, I removed her undergarments, unwilling to take the time to romance them off of her like I normally would have, I just wanted her too fucking much.

Once I had her gloriously naked, her hands slid down to the towel around my waist and pulled it apart before dropping it to the floor. Her eyes widened in appreciation as she took in the sight of me hard and all too willing. I caught her cuffed wrist and brought it up between us. Taking the empty cuff and bringing the cold steel to my left wrist, I clamped it firmly in place. Her eyes grew wide and almost imperceptibly, she shifted her weight causing her thighs to rub together.

_That's right, Rosie, you aren't getting away. _

With our wrists manacled together, I entwined my fingers with hers and squeezed tightly. With my other hand I cupped her cheek and brought my lips to hers, kissing her deeply as I pulled us toward the desk. On the way, I moved my hand from her face and plucked a condom out of the desk drawer. She took it from me without hesitation and ripped it open, then rolled it onto my length one handed, and I marveled how quickly she'd mastered something that was no doubt a fucking art form.

I sat down in my desk chair, and pulled her to me, guiding her so that she straddled me. She drew me into her with a slow delicious swirl of her hips until she had me completely enveloped. Her head fell back slightly as her free hand reached up and grasped the back of the chair behind my head. Once she had it firmly in hand, she pulled herself to me and ground her hips into me with a slow forceful arc. I growled with pleasure at the depth of her, hissing as she pulled off of me before sinking down onto me again. My cuffed hand found her breast and took her nipple into my mouth. Her hand, unable to move freely, could only reach my hair. She tangled her fingers in it and pulled, matching the force of her hand with an equally forceful grind of her hips. I could feel my intensity building, growing easily because I hadn't had her all week. We were both eager, our usual wantonness amplified by a lack of being near each other.

_The heart isn't the only thing absence does wonders for. _

My hips bucked up to meet her insistent rhythmic movements and her mewling cries began to follow each other in quicker and quicker succession. She was building. I could feel her tightening around me as she moved up and down, her breasts bobbing delightfully right in my delighted fucking face. I was about to come and I wanted her to come with me. I reached down between us and began rubbing her clit in swift circles with my thumb. She groaned so loudly that I was positive Mrs. Cope, my landlady who lived next door, could hear the pleasure ripping through her body. The realization that I was making Rose lose herself like that was enough to push me over the edge. I bucked my hips and ran my free hand up her back, gripping her shoulder as I pulled her down on top of me one final time.

Both of us now spent, I leaned back in the chair and she relaxed on me, resting her head on my shoulder as I started playing with her hair. I took a deep breath and relished the mixture of roses and sex that hung heavy in the air. It dawned on me then that, of all the things I'd missed over the week, holding her afterwards like this was what I'd missed the most.

"I missed you," I confessed in a whisper and kissed the top of her head.

"Good," she exclaimed, "Maybe that will stop you from leaving next time," she shrugged, completely unapologetic against my bare chest.

"I don't like leaving," I told her earnestly.

"So don't then," she shot back.

"You make that sound so easy doll, I do have a little thing called rent to pay," I laughed and leaned forward, her signal to stand and let me up so I could clean up. I saw my keys on the desk and snatched them up, quickly sorting through them until I found the key to the cuffs. I released Rose first and then removed the heavy steel from my wrist.

When I came out of the bathroom, Rosie had put all of her underclothes back on and was sitting on my desk with one leg propped up on the chair, deftly adjusting her stocking with one hand, a cigarette held gracefully in the other.

"I'm hungry," she informed me. I knew that was coming; she was always hungry after sex. It was so fucking cute.

"How does Hwang's sound, baby doll?" I asked distractedly as I went to my dresser to pull out fresh clothes. She came over to me and put the cigarette in my mouth.

"That sounds perfect," she replied and pecked me on the cheek, before sauntering off to the john. I had just pulled a pair of boxers from the drawer when her next statement punched me in the gut.

"Your father called me, Edward. He needs your help," she called, way too fucking casually, over her shoulder.

_Where the FUCK did that come from?_

**RPOV**

I had only seen it once before, but I knew exactly what I was looking for.

An old worn photograph - one of happier times for Edward and his parents. I'd seen it for just an instant, a few weeks ago. I'd come out of the bathroom to find him holding it in his hand, his head cocked to the side and his finger tracing his mother's face. I couldn't see his face but, just from his posture, I could imagine his expression was one of pain, of longing. He turned to see me but didn't mention anything of the photograph, simply slid it into the top drawer of his desk and carried on as though I hadn't caught him in a private moment. At the time, I let it go. It was his secret to tell, something he'd come to talk about in time.

However, with Dr. Cullen contacting me, I knew that _now _had become the time. I thought that if I could just find the photograph, it might be a good opening for the conversation that I was about to start.

But then we got... sidetracked, as we so often do when we're together. Of course, I couldn't really place the blame on him for that one, I had wanted him from the moment I saw him walking down the street near the Fleetwood. Before that.

So I did what I do best, I bluntly threw it out there in our post-coital haze, while we were getting ready for my next Chinese food experience. Granted, it might not have been my most brilliant move but it needed to be said and I wanted him to have some time to digest it before we headed out to the restaurant. Perhaps I'd get some more information from him, maybe he'd be more forthcoming and I'd find out why there was such a large rift between him and his parents. They were lovely people, the Cullens, and I couldn't understand what could have possibly happened that would cause such strife between them. I expected that we'd talk a bit at the apartment and then again at Hwang's about how he could start making amends.

What I didn't expect was Edward's reaction.

"Excuse me?" his voice was low and had I not been listening for it, I might have missed it altogether.

"Your father, he called me while you were away, working on the case," I repeated, a bit slower this time before heading into the bathroom. Letting him marinate with the idea for awhile. He had only spoken two words but, from those two words alone, I could tell he was not very happy. I finished in the bathroom and walked back out to face the music.

He was still standing there, stark naked with his boxers in hand. I grabbed my discarded dress and started getting dressed, not looking at him.

"Dr. Cullen, your _father_, called me earlier today. It seems as though he's in some sort of jam and he was wondering if you and I might join them for dinner sometime soon." I turned, buttoning the front of my dress and attempting a smile which fell short when I saw his expression. Angry wasn't the word.

"Why in the hell didn't you tell me this sooner, Rosalie?"

_Pardon me?_

"I don't know Edward but, seeing as how you are handling this _so well_, I can't imagine why I didn't tell you sooner," I replied dryly. My dress buttoned, I moved toward him, desperate to put him at ease. Instead of leaning into me like he normally would, he pulled away, sitting down on the side of the bed. I blinked, my hands falling to my sides, not sure of what was going on.

"Edward, I don't even know the situation with your parents and I don't know what type of trouble your father is in but he sounded despondent. I wasn't exactly sure how to bring it up."

His fingers weaved their way through his already mussed up hair and he looked toward the floor. "Why didn't he just call _me?_ Why did he call _you?_"

"Perhaps he thought that you'd respond to his request better coming from me than from him? Obviously that's not the case. I don't really know, seeing as-" He cut me off, seething with anger.

"This is fucking ridiculous. The man doesn't pick up the phone for nearly ten years and now he's calling _you_ to grease me up for him_?_ What a racket!" His eyes flashed and I felt the anger rolling off of him in waves. I could understand his being upset about Dr. Cullen contacting me but it felt as though he was taking his anger out on me, rather than his parents. That was something that I was _not _okay with.

"Listen, buster, I know you are upset over this. However, I don't really understand your reasoning or logic because... well... you've never really shared this part of your life with me. I don't know what went on but I know _I _didn't do anything to you. So you need to watch your tone with me."

"Well, I don't fucking intend on _sharing_ it with you now, either."

The words were harsh and I flinched at the venom behind them. He was acting like a petulant child and I wasn't at all impressed with the attitude. I started collecting my belongings, ready to get away from him. _What a difference a few hours can make._ I couldn't wait for him to get home and now I needed to be far away from him before I said something that I'd regret. I already knew that he'd be kicking himself for this conversation when he simmered down.

He noticed me gathering my things and I heard his voice rumble from the bed behind me, "Rosalie, I-"

I held up a hand, stopping whatever degrading statement was about to come out of his mouth.

"No. You know what? I know you just got home but you're being a real bastard right now. There are obviously some family issues you need to work through and apparently I'm not privy to that part of your life. So when you decide to stop acting like such a selfish ass, you know where you can find me. Welcome home, Edward." I spat out the words as I glared at him. Flinging open the door, I stormed out of the apartment and slammed it behind me. The walls rattled and I could hear something that sounded like a frame run down the wall and crack inside. _Good! _The was something satisfying that came with the knowledge that I might have hurt something of his.

In the vestibule I ran my hand over my hair and then slid my hands into my white gloves. Taking my mother's compact out of my purse, I looked at myself in the reflection. Indignant tears sat at the corners of my eyes and I blinked them away, furious at him for nearly making me cry. _I won't shed tears for your stupidity, Edward Cullen._

Walking out onto the sidewalk, I glanced back at his window for a moment before quickly hailing a taxicab.

The cabbie looked at me, expectantly. _Where will I go?_

"Lou Mitchell's on Jackson." I settled back on the seat as the cabbie maneuvered his way toward the diner. I was still hungry and since Hwang's was obviously out of the question, Lou's was my standard go-to. I tried to think about other things besides the argument I had just had with Edward, but of course, I could think of nothing _but_ the argument. The words played and replayed over and over in my head as I looked out the window. I hoped that Alice was working because I needed her perspective on things.

* * *

KrisBCullen brings the beta special winsauce. BohemianBuffalo, EV and Edrose make Rosie and Edward smile. To all of our readers outside of the US, we love you! (We love you Americans, too! Especially Snoods.)

A review will get you a teaser from chapter 3 and make Edward grin. You want to make Edward grin, don't you?


	3. Serenade In Blue

A/N My Girl Friday is a sequel to I'll Be Seeing You, which can be found through our profile. We hope you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

* * *

EPOV

She slammed the door with the graceful force that only a woman's rage can inspire, making a picture frame crash to the floor and cracking the plaster above the door. As I watched the little white chips of plaster fly everywhere, I knew I would have been lying if I said my heart didn't crack a little too, watching her walk out on me in anger, even if it was fucking unjustified anger. My mind reeled as it tried to grasp exactly what had just happened. The scent of sex and roses still hung in the air, yet nothing was the same as it had been ten minutes ago. She had just blindsided me with the force of a Mack truck. What the hell did she expect me to say? Did she expect a thank you for snooping into my past and trying to interfere with my future?

Automatically, my mind flew back to when I had come out of the shower. I was more convinced now that she had been looking for something, and she hadn't found it. It made me feel horrible; why didn't she just talk to me?

_She did you jackass, and look how you behaved. _

With a grumble, I put on the boxers I still held in my hand and walked over to my desk. I took a drag from the smoke she'd lit and given to me as I poured myself a healthy tumbler full of bourbon. I hadn't been drinking much since I met Rose, but I could feel the muscles in my shoulders tightening as I sat down in my chair. The chair that, twenty minutes ago, was seating my happily-getting-laid ass. I clenched my eyes shut, trying to shake the involuntary image of her bouncing on top of me from my mind and gulped down the glass of Wild Turkey.

Rose said they were in trouble; the very thought of that inspired instant nausea. I knew beyond any doubt that I would do everything I could to help them. It wasn't a question to be considered, despite everything that had happened in the past. I couldn't let my mother suffer or be in danger. The very notion of something happening to her was reprehensible. As for my father, he had always been her rock, and mine too, in happier times. I'd never believe that he would do something that would put her in danger of any sort. The possibility of blackmail surfaced in my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. It was impossible to start speculating without more facts.

I snuffed out the butt I was smoking and reached for my pack to light another, and just my fucking luck, my pack was empty. I was going to have to go out, an idea I loathed at the moment. I'd much rather sit here in my boxers and drink myself into oblivion, but a glance at the bourbon bottle told me that there was no way in hell that was going to last the night either. Reluctantly, I stood and got dressed, but before I left I pawed through my unpacked suitcase and pulled out an old, worn photograph. With it tucked into my breast pocket, I headed out the door.

I hailed a cab, and after stopping at the liquor store for bourbon and smokes, I filled up my flask in the backseat and told the cabbie to take me to Hwang's. I needed to think and something about the greasy green walls and bad light always got my wheels turning. My mood hadn't improved much by the time I strode through the door. I was surprised by how busy the place was, and my usual table was taken by couple of college kids. I ground my teeth and looked for another table, spying one on the far side of the room near the restrooms and the pay phone. I made my way over and sat down as Hwang's wife came to take my order. With my sesame chicken on the way, I took a few more swigs of the liquid courage otherwise known as Wild Turkey. I felt the warm flowing numbness spread through me and knew it was time to do something I generally avoided like the fucking plague.

It was time to remember the past. It was time to be honest with myself.

I reached into my breast pocket and pulled out the only photograph I had of my parents. It was taken on my sixteenth birthday by a member of the house staff as the three of us posed for the camera. I sat at the dining room table, a huge chocolate birthday cake covered in lit candles in front of me. My mother was leaning down next to me, her mouth puckered up to help me blow them out as if I were still four years old and needed such assistance. I looked at the camera with a sheepish grin, ecstatic that, in my mind, I had reached the age of a certain manhood. My father stood on my other side, his eyes dancing and his mouth twisted into a proud and adoring smirk as he watched over the two of us. The same smirk I saw in the mirror, on the lips I'd inherited from my mother.

My heart squeezed with regret, as it always did if I looked at the picture too long. Usually at this point when my throat started to tighten, I would put the picture back in its place in the top drawer of my desk, but this time I didn't put it away. This time I forced myself to keep staring at it, forced myself to _feel_ the bullshit for once.

That birthday was a memorable one, I recalled with a snort. My mother planned a small party at the house, nothing fancy, more subdued than the usual shin-digs because of the Depression. She'd invited a handful of their friends from the country club and a few of Dad's colleagues. They brought their sons and daughters, with whom I had nothing in common. My sixteen years of tennis matches and tea time monotony had taught me that most of these people had about as much substance as the smoke curling from the end of my cigarette.

After dinner, one of Dad's friends said something I didn't much appreciate. I don't even recall what it was now, it was that fucking unimportant. My reaction was a smart ass comment right back, and if I remember correctly, there was no doubt some cussing involved. Dad didn't appreciate that. After all the guests had left, he came to my room, and reminded me how we should treat guests in our home, especially colleagues of his. He also told me that I had to apologize to Mr. Important the next day. I refused and caused a big argument about how I wouldn't kiss up to anyone. In the end I did apologize, but swallowing my pride and learning to bite my tongue left a bitter taste.

That wasn't the final straw however. It was just the spark that started the slow burn. It was when I was eighteen that I tore my family apart.

Discussing my future was a frequent topic of conversation in the Cullen house. For months leading up to my graduation, my father had been urging me to choose a college and a path in life. I once mentioned an interest in law, and he soon began gently encouraging me. Frequently. Now that I was older and wiser, I realized I mistook my father's interest in my future for a desire to superintend it as he saw fit. I'd never been one to respond well to authority. That hardheaded propensity combined with teenage arrogance and stupidity blinded me to what Dad was really after. Making sure I was happy and secure was all he wanted. The same thing every parent wants for their child, just something better than what they had.

So when I got home from visiting the campus at the University of Illinois, I walked into his office at home, sat down in front of his massive desk and told him I wasn't going to be a lawyer. That in fact, I wasn't going to college at all.

_"What have you decided on instead, Edward?" he asked, clearly disappointed but calm. My impetuous youth bucked against the condescending authority I thought I heard in his voice._

_"I've always had an interest in the law, as you kno__w." He__ nodded, and I took a deep breath before reaching into the pocket of my jacket and pulling out the Colt .32 I had purchased from a pawn shop the day before. Slowly, I laid it on the desk between us._

_"A police officer? That's a very noble cho-" He assumed but I quickly corrected him._

_"A private investigator. I imagine the pay is a little more lucrative than what the city can offer." I explained, my eyes tight, watching his reaction. His brow furrowed suddenly with concern._

_"This sounds dangerous, Edward. Your mother will be in a constant state of worry. Even I don't like the idea of you participating in any kind of profession that would warrant the use of a gun," he said, seriously._

_"I don't plan on using it unless I have to," I replied, and tried to sound calm and steady. He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together in front of him._

_"Don't you think this might be a profession for a man of more...experience? Perhaps a police officer would be a better start," he compromised._

_The suggestion had me bristling immediately._

_"I can handle it," I retorted._

_"Son, don't you think you might be too naïve? You're eighteen, what do you know of crimes of passion and the seedier side of life? Nothing, I hope," he said with finality._

_"This is what I want," I said tightly._

_"Edward, the Depression is going on and you want to be a private detective? How will you survive on that?" he asked, his voice betraying his growing frustration, and genuine concern._

_"Unlike some people, I don't need fancy digs and silver spoons to be happy," I shot back and stood up, reminding him of how I little cared for what he considered a comfortable lifestyle. I was ready for the conversation to be over._

_"I do believe you're being a bit unfair, Edward. My profession has fed you and clothed you and sheltered you rather nicely, not to mention providing you with plenty of pocket money, " he finished._

_That was the last straw for my young pride._

_"Not anymore. I'm eighteen and I don't need handouts," I said, and turned on my heel to leave the room. I was finished talking._

_"This conversation isn't over yet, Edward,"_ _he said firmly, but I strode angrily from the room and ignored him. It was over in my view. _

_I went to my room and packed up the necessities. They both tried to persuade me to stay. It was no use. I was ridiculously fucking stubborn then - not that I'd changed any - and could be a cold bastard when I wanted to be. Mom tugged on my shirtsleeves, crying. Dad stood in the doorway, stunned. They asked reasonable questions: Where would I go? How would I eat? Maybe they hoped I'd be scared into staying. I didn't have answers for them, but that didn't change my mind. I ignored them both. I walked out of the door of my childhood_ _home for what I thought would be the last time._

The song on Hwang's radio changed to "Serenade in Blue" and drew my mind back from my memory. They never tried to contact me. I knew the reason why, and it had nothing to do with any ill will toward me. They knew me better than I knew myself, they knew that I would have to be the one to contact them, that my stupid pride wouldn't have it any other way. I'd realized long ago the only thing keeping us apart was my bullheadedness. The distance between us was my doing, and it was my responsibility to reconcile it.

Would I be able to apologize for all I'd done? Would they accept my apology? There wasn't a way on this Earth I could ever make up for the pain I'd caused and the years we'd lost. I was more than a little worried about what they would think of my living situation. I knew Mom would be shocked if she saw my tiny, dingy studio apartment that doubled as my place of business, and Dad would give me endless grief about drinking. Would they be proud of me? I wasn't proud of myself sometimes. I wasn't proud of how I'd treated them or of how I'd treated Rose. I certainly wasn't proud of some of the things I'd been forced to do when I'd first left them. It was tough, those first few years, and I did what everyone was doing at the time, anything they could to survive. I definitely wasn't proud of those years.

I pulled out my flask and took two generous gulps. My order came and I took a few bites but ended up just dejectedly poking the chicken around on the plate with my chopsticks. I pushed the plate away from me and lit a smoke. Rosie slamming the door on me flashed through my head. She came to me as a favor to my father. I knew she did it out of concern for me, and my parents. My brilliant response was to be stupid and insensitive, even though, in the moment, I knew damn well Rosie thought she was doing what was best for me. I knew, as much as I didn't want to admit it then, that she was probably right. And then I had to say something mean and cruel, not fucking thinking before opening my fat mouth. How typical of me. Rose deserved better than that.

_Can she forgive me? _

My hand went to my head, my fingers pulling on my hair as they wove through it. I'd fucked up beyond recognition and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to live with the consequences of my actions toward her tonight. Imagining my life reverting to what it was five months ago made me instantly depressed. Her fury was breathtaking even though it was my fault, and her strength to be honest with me was as sexy as it was infuriating. I was still in awe of her. When she left me tonight, I cringed at the thought of not knowing when, or if I would see her again. Or the next time I could make a crude little joke with double meaning and watch her lips purse in pretended disdain while her eyes betrayed her and twinkled. Not knowing if I'd hold her again, or play with her hair, or just be near her.

One thing was fucking certain, if I didn't see Rose anymore, I knew I'd be drinking a lot more bourbon.

_Aren't you supposed to be honest with yourself, Cullen? Stop trivializing it, admit it. _

_You love her. _

I wanted to deny it, only because that's what an adulthood of habit and fear and insecurity and stupidity told me to do.

_But you can't._

It was true, I couldn't. I loved her.

_Heaven fucking help me._

I took a nervous swig from my flask and hoped she felt the same. I hoped she would show me more understanding than I had shown her tonight. Hoped that she would forgive me for how I had behaved this evening. I needed her, now more than ever, if I was going to try to bridge the gap that I had created between me and my family. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to grovel enough to Rose to make up for what an asshole I'd been tonight, but I knew there was one thing that would make her happy. It was the same thing would make me happy, too, in the long run, if I was able to survive the hell of taking the first few steps.

The payphone hung on the wall a few feet away from me, the black plastic receiver staring down from the wall at me like a priest awaiting a confession. I stood reluctantly and made my drunken way over to it. I hoped Mom answered. I wasn't quite ready to talk to Dad yet, but I'd have to be careful with what I said to her, I wasn't sure how much she knew about the situation that Dad needed my help with, and I didn't want to alarm her. I also didn't really want to go to the house yet, I needed neutral territory.

My hand reached into my pocket for my flask and took a few more swigs of courage. There I was again, standing in front of the payphone about to make the call that I'd started to make so many times. A call that would change everything. I brought my hand up to the receiver and briefly realized it was shaking. I let it drop back to my side and took a deep breath. Time seemed to freeze. Everything around me was cast in the yellow glow of cheap fluorescent lights which only amplified the tacky green wallpaper.

_You can do this, Cullen. You've wanted to hear her voice for a long time. _

I gritted my teeth and brought my hand to the receiver again. This time I snatched it off the hook decisively and pushed it against my ear much harder than was necessary. Thank God for Wild Turkey, or this would be the shortest fucking phone call since Bell invented the damn thing.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a few coins. I pushed one into the slot on the phone and dialed the number. A moment of silence, then a ring. And another. Then a click as someone picked up the line.

"Hello," a pleasant, melodious voice said.  
_  
Her._

"Mom," I said in a whisper.

Silence.

"Mrs. Carlisle Cullen?" I asked, thinking that I had been wrong and it wasn't her. Maybe their telephone number had changed and I called the wrong house.

I gave it a moment, but still no answer.

"Forgive me," I apologized, "I must have the wrong number," I slurred slightly and started to pull the phone away from my ear.

"Edward?" I finally heard her ask incredulously. Her voice triggered so many little flashes of happy memories to spark through my head, barbecues and Thanksgiving and family camping trips. My eyes crinkled shut with the sting it caused and I leaned forward, resting my free hand palm down against the wall.

"It's me, Mom. Is Dad there?" I asked.

"Edward," she replied, her voice thick with relief and surprise. "No, he's with a patient." She paused and I started to speak but she spoke again. "And you're looking thin," she continued. "I clip out all your photographs from the paper and I've been worried about you," she scolded gently.

"I'm fine, Mom. Everything is fine. Don't worry," I soothed. The hand against the wall clenched into a fist. I knew I made her worry every day, probably. I just hated facing that fact.

"I have a scrapbook, you know. I'm so proud of you, Edward." She said with the pride that only a mother can. My mind, however, was ravaged with the image of her, sitting on the floor near the fire, gluing little strips of newsprint to the black pages of the book. She'd take care to arrange each clipping perfectly, making the most of the space on the pages. I could also imagine my father standing nearby, watching her sadly.

Sad because of me and my selfishness. My eyes started to sting. I had to make this quick.

"Dad had invited Rosalie and me to dinner, but I'm not sure that is a good idea. Do you think you and Dad can come to Rose's estate for tea?" I asked softly, suddenly chickening out on going to my childhood home.

"Of course, Edward," she said excitedly, happiness coloring her voice. My throat tightened more.

"I can't talk more now, but tell Dad I called and that I'll call him later with the details." I said quickly, hoping Rose and I were on speaking terms by then.

"Alright," she said as she sniffled, obviously crying.

"I'll see you soon," I said and softly placed the receiver back on the hook.

**RPOV**

A few years ago, Emmett and I had gone to the B&K Theatre to see a double feature. Before the first feature started, there was a short cartoon playing with a character that was _so angry_, he had steam coming out of his ears. Looking at my reflection in the pane glass windows of Lou Mitchell's, I wouldn't have been surprised to see steam coming out of _my _ears the way the cartoon character had. My emotions seemed to go full circle: confusion, anger, sadness. I'd passed confusion for a second time and I was back on anger yet again.

My heels clicked loudly on the sidewalk as I made my way to the door of Lou's at a quick pace. My steps were so hard, I felt each one radiating up through my body. The evening was bringing a cool breeze to the summer air and I was grateful I had thought to wrap my sweater around me since I left in a tizzy. The rush of the air swirled my hair around my head and I was certain I looked a bit like Medusa. I made no attempt to fix my hair and a small part of me wished that when he had watched me leaving his dinky apartment, the gaze would have turned Edward into stone.

I opened the door of the diner with force, causing the bell hanging over my head to ring incessantly. Patrons head's snapped up at the sound of the bell chiming over and over. I saw Alice standing behind the counter, order pad in hand and pen poised at the ready. Her dark eyes widened as she saw me standing in the doorway and I could tell that she was quickly assessing the situation. Catching my sour expression, she silently questioned with hers if I was okay. Frowning back, I shook my head once. Once was enough. Jutting her chin toward an empty stool at the end of counter, she indicated that I was to sit down and wait until she was done.

After she finished helping the customer she had been speaking to, she slid the order slip onto the high chrome counter that separated her from the cooks in the back room. I saw a hand fiddling with the radio before reaching over to grab the slip that Alice had just deposited. Shifting my glance, I came eye to eye with Alice. She leaned forward, her elbows on the counter and her backside pushed out.

"First things first, Rosalie. Are you hungry?" I nodded my affirmation. "The usual? Egg salad on rye, lettuce, tomato? Side salad?"

The usual choice sounded boring. I shook my head at the mention of it, sighing dramatically. I thought for a moment and decided to go with decadent. Lou made the best desserts. "I'll have a vanilla milkshake, extra malt. And a piece of that pie." I pointed to the pie that sat under the dome on the counter. From where I sat, I couldn't tell what type of pie it was and I didn't care, I just wanted it. She nodded and cut a huge piece of pie while she asked one of the other waitresses to make the milkshake over her shoulder. Returning to me, she pushed the plate of what I could now discern was apple pie toward me, a fork resting on the plate next to it. I usually didn't indulge in sweets but tonight was a sweets kind of night, to be certain.

"So toots, _what'd_ he do?"

_How in the world does she do that?_

I sighed and ran my fingers along the pearls I had worn especially with him in mind. My anger was once again fading away and sadness was creeping in once more.

"He… I…"

I looked for a diversion so that I would have time to collect my thoughts. Settling on my sweater, I slipped it off of my arms. Alice was watching me expectantly, but the look turned perplexed. "What? What is it?" I asked, running my hands along the ribbon appliqué that adorned the shoulders of my dress.

Alice moved her head closer to mine, rising on her toes to push herself over the counter so she could whisper, "Well, you obviously left in a hurry. Your button…" she trailed off and pointed to the row of buttons on the front of my dress. I had missed one all together. Thankfully it was down near my waist, where the belt had held the material cinched together. Discreetly, my fingers pushed the final white button through the vermilion-colored dress, my cheeks a similar color.

"Thanks, Alice."

"Any time. Hold on a sec." She sauntered back to the kitchen for a moment and I heard her speaking with Lou in low murmuring tones. After a brief pause, she appeared once more and grabbed my milkshake from the other waitress. She plunked it down in front of me, placing a straw and spoon next to the glass.

"Alice, what are you-"

She held up a hand, stopping my words. Picking up the dome once more, she cut another slice of pie. Finally, she flipped up a section in the middle of counter so she could walk to my side and came to a stop once she reached the red vinyl swivel stool next to mine.

"Now, out with it. What happened that made you come walking in here with your buttons all willy-nilly?" She took a forkful of pie and popped it into her mouth.

"Well, I don't know the full story but from what I gather, Edward and his folks have been estranged for quite some time. His father is Dr. Cullen and he-"

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" She asked, cutting me off with her question.

I nodded. "Yes, the very one."

"He and his wife come in for lunch and I sometimes wait on them. Such nice people, so soft-spoken and kind." She smiled, thinking about them, before her thoughts caught up to what I had said. "Edward is their _son?_"

Grimacing at her response, I explained, "Yes, he's their son, although I didn't even know they had a son or that it was Edward until he said something recently. They aren't on speaking terms and haven't been for quite some time. Dr. Cullen has been my family doctor for what seems like forever and I've gotten to know him and his wife over the years. Dr. Cullen called me this morning saying that he needs Edward's help. He thought that perhaps I could help in persuading Edward to talk to them once more and hearing him out."

"_Jeepers!_"

I took a deep breath and plunged ahead, describing what had happened before I came to the diner that night. Alice listened with a sympathetic ear and gave the appropriate responses throughout. The pie was soothing, as was the milkshake. But the most soothing of all was having Alice there, sitting beside me with her hand resting on my arm, patting it occasionally. I finished my story and took a long hard pull of the malted milkshake through the straw. "That's the story, Alice. Tell me sincerely , what do you think I should do?"

Alice thought for a moment before she said one word. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

_"Not. A. Thing," _she emphasized each word as she shook her head back and forth. "You said what you needed to. Now this is in _his _hands. You said it yourself, toots, he needs to work this out for himself."

"But I-"

She held up a finger and interrupted my interruption. "But nothing. He knows where he can find you. Don't be one of the simpering dames that goes crawling back to her man when he's the one that's been acting like a nogoodnik. He'll figure it out eventually and then he'll come to you. And there better be groveling on his part." She paused for a moment. "And flowers. He better bring flowers too."

"No, he's not a flowers kind of guy. Maybe Chinese from Hwang's?" I joked and she smiled. I could tell she was relieved that I was _able _to joke in the situation.

"Hey now! You mean you go to places other than Lou's? How dare you?" she kidded with me.

We sat in silence as I thought for a moment about what she had said. All of the points she made were valid and I knew deep down that she was right, but I couldn't help but think there was something more I could do in the situation. The corners of my mouth started to pull down and I was about to say as much when she stopped me again.

"Rosalie. Remember your strength. You are a force to be reckoned with! You showed that before when you walked out of Edward's apartment and you're going to continue to show that." She grabbed my hand with both of hers. "You keep that man on his toes. Never let him get complacent."

"Wise words, Alice. Thank you for reminding me. You know we've never said _the words_ but I think, I mean, I'm pretty sure that I... well, I care for him a great deal. I might even..." I couldn't even say it to her, with Edward being nowhere in the vicinity. He knew. I knew he knew.

She knew what I was trying to say.

"All in good time, Rosalie." She finished her piece of pie and swung her legs around toward the outside, hopping off the stool. "I'm sorry I don't have longer, but I have to get back to work."

"That's fine, Alice. Thank you so much for setting me straight. This conversation was just what I needed." I stood with her. She looked down at my pie and milkshake, nearly untouched.

"Aren't you going to have more?" She asked as she pulled her order pad out of the front pocket of her uniform.

I flashed a small smile as I ran my hands along my skirt. "Of course, I'm planning on having all of it. A girl's got to have her delicious comfort foods, right?" Alice smiled a rueful grin back at me. "I was just going to use the payphone outside to call Emmett to come pick me up."

"Oh, you can use the line behind the counter, toots. Only for our best customers." I tried to protest, but she just waved me toward the other end of the counter and pointed to the phone that hung on the wall. Once again, I realized how fortunate I was to be surrounded by people who cared for me. These people weren't related by blood but they treated me as such and I was incredibly grateful. The raw emotions I'd felt talking into Lou's were fading, and now I was able to feel hopeful that Edward would come around, that we could get through this.

After a brief conversation with Emily, in which she assured me that she would send Emmett with the car, I returned once more to my milkshake and pie and gave them the full attention that they deserved.

* * *

Extra special double-stuffed squishy thanks to KrisBCullen for her double duty. Love to Buffy, Heart, EV and Winterstale. xoxo

"I'll Be Seeing You", the prequel to "My Girl Friday" has been nominated for an Indie Award in the novella category, please take a look list of nominees in all the categories at the link below.

http://www(dot)theindietwificawards(dot)

Next week's update will be something different! We will be posting an outtake in honor of Hmonster and Emibella's Emmett Valentine's Day Challenge. Chapter four of My Girl Friday will post on 2/19.

Thanks for tagging along!


	4. Fools Rush In

My Girl Friday is a sequel to "I'll Be Seeing You", which you can view on our profile. Enjoy the ride, dollface.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

* * *

**EPOV**

I woke up the next morning fucking cursing Wild Turkey for the evil that it was as I propped myself slowly up on one elbow and ran my hand over my face. I'd slept in my clothes and they were rumpled and stank of bourbon, sweat and cigarette smoke. I knew from experience that a scalding hot shower was the only thing that was going to make me feel human again. I only wished I had been coherent enough last night to take my trusted hangover preventative, two aspirin tablets and a huge glass of water. I slowly, painfully, sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. A quick glance at the clock told me it was mid morning, ten twenty-three in the morning to be exact. I had to put a wiggle in it and get moving. I had a list of difficult things to be done, the first of which would be a trip to Rose's house. I started peeling of my clothes; my fingers, fat and uncoordinated with grogginess, fumbled with the buttons on my shirt. As I stood up to head to the john for that much needed shower, I hoped the hot water would lessen that dull, throbbing ache in my head. Today, I needed to have my wits about me, because today was sure to serve up a big fat generous slice of humble pie, topped with a heaping scoop of heartbreaking accountability.

The steam of the shower started to work its magic and I felt the stupor of too much bourbon begin to slowly lift. I struggled to put my thoughts in order. The first thing I needed to do was get my ass to Rosie's house and try my damnedest to patch things up with her, then I'd move on to the next matter at hand, seeing my parents. I lathered my hair with shampoo and wondered how I was going to get back in Rosie's good graces. Something told me it was going to involve a ridiculously large bouquet of roses, and a fucking obscene amount of chocolate, delivered personally with an insane amount of groveling at the very least. At most, it could come to me signing over my very soul to her. I chuckled darkly; who was I kidding?  
_  
It's already hers, to treasure or fucking trample, as her whim dictates._

I hurried and finished up in the shower, brushed my teeth, got dressed and was out the door within twenty minutes, stopping at my desk long enough to pluck my old photo and slide it into my breast pocket. On mornings like this, I considered coffee to be the nectar of the gods, but I didn't want to waste time stopping for some. I wanted to get to the florist. Anyway, I felt that suffering through my hangover was some small penance for being such an all-around jackass. I knew it was too little too late, but a little is better than nothing, and late is better than never.

I had a cab take me to a florist that was downtown, on the way to Rose's house, and asked the driver to wait while I went in. Fifteen minutes later, I emerged with a massive white box tied with a red ribbon, and inside were two dozen pale pink roses. The cabbie got out and held the backseat door open for me. His smirk told me he'd seen plenty of fellas in the dog house climb in the back of his cab with flowers before. I was more than sure the difference between me and them was I wasn't trying to negotiate a single battle; I was trying to divert an all out war.

"Brach's Candies on Cicero," I told the driver and he pulled out into traffic with a shake of his head.

"Flowers and candy? Oohh-ie, she must be mad at you!" he clucked and I ignored his commentary on my love life. I'd be admitting enough fault later, I didn't need to 'fess up to this fool, too.

Half an hour later with my pricey peace offering of chocolates and long stem roses in hand, I was standing in front of Rosie's mansion. It loomed above me with cheerful menace, its bright white walls contrasting starkly against the clear blue sky of the pretty summer day. I shuffled my feet, wishing I could procrastinate now that I was standing here and had no where to run. I knew damn well that Emily was probably watching me already from some window, and there was a good chance Rose knew I was here, too. It was time to face the music, because I had no doubt there would be a symphony accompanying Rose's angry fireworks.

I went to the door and wondered how I was going to ring the bell with my hands full, but of course, Emily opened the door just as I was about to step up onto the porch. I walked into the foyer and grinned sheepishly at her.

"Hi, Emily."

"Hello, Mister Edward. It's good to see you," she said sincerely. It had been a week since I had been here.

"How...how have you been?" I stammered nervously. With my arms full of flowers and candy it was pretty obvious why I was here. Hell, Rose may have confided in her anyway.

"I'm fine," she replied and tiny little smirk playing at the corner of her mouth, she was having a little fun watching me squirm like a worm on a hook. "What can I do for you?" she asked after letting me wriggle a little more.

"Is Rose here?" I asked, only then realizing she could be at her offices and that I was an arrogant ass to assume she'd be home, waiting for me or something.

"Yes, she's upstairs, taking a bath. Can I give you a hand with those things?" she asked with her hands outstretched. I handed her the box of roses, untied the ribbon and removed one bloom from the box.

"Would you be a doll, Emily, and put these in a vase for me and then bring them up to her room?" I asked and offered her a little smile of gratitude, the best my dark mood could muster at the moment.

"Of course," she said as she bobbed a curtsy, then shut the door and scurried off to the kitchen.

I took off my hat and dropped it on the entryway table, then took a deep breath as my gaze traveled up the massive curvy white staircase. I suddenly felt like I was walking to line up before the firing squad. My hands shook, my palms were sweating, _I_ was sweating. I was a nervous wreck, dreading what _could_ happen in the next few minutes. After some more deep breaths, I forced my right foot to take a step toward the stairs. My feet felt like lead weights, but my heart felt heavier. At least if she didn't accept my apology the trip back down the stairs would be much lighter, since I'd be leaving my heart up there with her. As I neared the top of the stairs, I heard her radio playing "Fools Rush In." I stepped into her bedroom and the full force of what I could be losing hit me, as I was surrounded by her essence, the scent of which permeated her bedroom. It had been a week since I'd been here, and I had missed the smell of the rose scented perfume that always hung in the air. I missed the soft glowing light of the radio dial when we'd lay in bed together late at night. I even missed the makeup brushes and pots of cosmetics that neatly lined her vanity.

All these things I had missed while I had been out of town working, but throughout the week I'd known I'd be going home to her, and that I'd be submerged in her world of white satin sheets and flirty fucking dresses again. Now, however, I couldn't afford the same kind of confidence. She might very well tell me to go straight to Hell.

_Get it fucking over with, Cullen._

I put the chocolates and the single rose on the bed and went to the closed bathroom door. Bringing my hand up to the door, I rapped on it softly.

"Rose?" I called, half of me hoping she didn't hear me. I held my breath until I heard her speak.

"I'm busy," she _informed _me. I could tell by her tone she that was still pretty sore at me.

I rested my forehead against the door and shut my eyes, my jaw taught with tension. "I can wait," I said.

"You'll be waiting awhile," she retorted. Of course I'd wait forever if she _forced_ me to, but I wasn't a man known for my patience. I needed to hold her and know that everything was right between us again, so I employed a different tactic. "You can't stay in there all day. You'll shrivel like a prune." I lifted my head hoping she'd tell me to come in.

"Maybe you should wait for me downstairs. Or in the study," she suggested in what I liked to call her business voice. My shoulders slumped. This was going to be a lot more fucking formal than I'd expected, and that couldn't be a good sign.

"I'll be in the study," I grumbled and shuffled off dejectedly in that direction. Her formality told me one thing, I was going to have to crawl on my belly, repentant and honest.

_Hell Cullen, you'd flat out beg her if you had to._

Grumbling some more as I sat down on the settee, I lit a smoke in desperate need of something to soothe my nerves. Regardless of the fact that she and I were in different rooms, the thick tension in the atmosphere was killing me. For the first time in my life, I was actually about to stand up and face the consequences of my actions. I was going to have to see the hurt in the eyes of someone I cared about because I had been careless with their feelings. It would be her big blue eyes frowning at me with hurt, disapproval and quiet wrath. The waiting was fucking excruciating, like awaiting a grand jury indictment.

The cigarette I was smoking had come to its end and I put it out in the ashtray on the end table next to the settee. Immediately I reached into my pocket for another and suddenly cringed when it dawned on me that she was going to expect me to tell her what happened with my parents. Sure, Rosie knew I was an ass occasionally, but I honestly had no desire for her to know the full extend of my bullheaded, hot-tempered stupidity. Regaling her with the sordid tale of how I willfully misunderstood my father and simultaneously broke my mother's heart was not an idea I relished. The disappointment in her eyes was going to feel like a bullet in the gut.

I snuffed out the second cigarette and eyed the drink cart and the cut crystal decanter that was sparkling with temptation at me. I shook my head determinedly and pulled out another smoke instead. As much as my nerves would love the numbing haze that would make what I had to do bearable, Rosie would not be pleased to smell alcohol on my breath. I didn't need to add to her disappointment in me. Time dragged as I smoked. The waiting becoming more nerve rattling with each minute that passed. I began cursing the time consuming mechanics of Rose's beauty regimen and society's unrealistic ideas of feminine perfection. I put out my Lucky Strike and went for a third one, but my hand froze when I heard the click of the bathroom doorknob. The jury was finished deliberating, and she was coming to tell me my fate.

"Just one flower?" My head snapped up at the hint of insult that colored her voice. Good thing I'd bought two dozen.

"Emily has the rest. She said she'd put them in a vase," I explained apologetically and then realized suddenly that I had no fucking idea how to start this conversation. I wasn't sure what Rose wanted to hear, or what she needed to hear me say. There was so much to say.

"I believe you had something you wanted to say?" She said flatly as she stood sternly before me. She hadn't put any makeup on and the fact that she didn't feel the need to don her armor gave me a small ray of hope. She was still breathtakingly gorgeous, but for all her pretty softness in her demure cotton dress, my Rosie was tough as nails. Always. I fucking loved her for that, even if her coldness was directed at me. After all, I was a cold hearted bastard; I deserved it.

"Rosie. I... you..." I began nervously. "Won't you sit down?" Hoping she'd set my fears at ease by taking a more casual seat beside me.

"No. I'd rather not." She said crossing her arms across her chest. _Shit_.

_You REALLY fucked up, Cullen_.

I stood up and started pacing the room, trying to spit out what I'd come to say. "I... behaved deplorably last night. You were just trying to help and I..." I began and got tongue-tied again.

"Yes, you did. And yes I was. What else were you about to say, Edward?" She still had her arms crossed and a sarcastic pissed-off smirk turned up one corner of her pretty mouth as she stared at me expectantly.

I stepped closer to her and met her piercing gaze full on. "I'm so sorry, Rosalie. The way I treated you last night was reprehensible. I took out my anger at myself on you, and that wasn't fair to you. Being caught off guard is no excuse for speaking to you that way, especially when I know you have my best interests at heart. I was a real jackass. I hope you can forgive me, and trust me when I say I won't let it happen again."

"That depends," she bargained shrewdly. "Are you taking your father's case?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me what happened between you and them?" she asked, laying out the second of her terms.

"Yes," I replied, really fucking hoping I hid any sign of reluctance in my voice.

"Are you going to let me help you?" she asked quietly.

She wanted to help me. "Yes," I said, honestly and gratefully.

_She's fucking amazing, Cullen. Hope you know that._

**RPOV**

Book in hand, I sat on the settee chair near the window in my father's study. I often came to the room when I needed to clear my head or just feel close to him. At the moment, I needed his presence in my life. Just being there in the room that held all of his things and that once belonged to him made me feel comforted, as though I was surrounded by him even though he wasn't physically there. My eyes were trained on my book, but I was distracted by the movement outside the window on the street.

A taxicab pulled to the front of the walk, right outside the gate and I saw Edward duck his head as his grabbed onto the door frame, pulling himself from the vehicle. I closed the curtain quickly, not wanting him to look up at the house to find me staring out the window like some lovesick puppy, _which I was not!_ Taking my book with me, I made my way into my room. My mind raced as I tried to figure out what to do with myself. Not wanting to appear to anxious, meeting him at the door was out of the question. Nor did I want to sit in my room and wait to be called upon.

My eyes landed on the new bubble bath product that La Bella had just started producing. Turning the faucets on the bathtub, I dumped a good amount of the bubble bath into the tub while quickly stripping from the lounging clothes I'd been wearing. I placed my book on the floor next to the tub before calling out the door of my room, "Emily? I'm drawing a bath for myself. Please don't disturb me unless it's important." I figured that would hold him off for a bit. Make him wait on me instead of the other way around. As well he should.

The tub only had a few inches of water, yet I was anxious to get in as quickly as possible since I knew time was of the essence. Gingerly stepping into the bath, I hissed as I realized I had made the water a bit too hot. Cursing under my breath and then cursing some more for cursing in the first place, I quickly spun the knob to make the water cooler. I put my hands on either side of the tub and lowered myself into the few inches of hot water and suds. It wouldn't have done me any good to have him find me standing _next _to the tub. I needed to appear as though his tantrum last night had not bested me. After I pulled my hair on top of my head, I settled into the filling tub and daintily reached for my cumbersome book, _Gone With the Wind._ I leaned back and the bubbles pushed themselves up and around my body as I held my book just above them. Finally, I opened to the page I had started to read for the third time.

Heavy footsteps came from my bedroom and I realized that it was not Emily skulking about in my room. It was then that I realized that while Emily was quite loyal to me, she had a soft spot for Edward. I remained quiet, staring hard at the words that danced in front of my eyes. I heard him move around the room for a few moments and then a soft knock at the door and a gruff call of my name.

Not answering right away, I placed the book down on the floor and took a deep breath. Alice's words came back to me. _You keep that man on his toes. Never let him get complacent._

I leisurely ran my fingertips along the bubbles but called out in a no-nonsense voice, "I'm busy."

"I can wait," his voice floated through the door.

_Damn him._

"You'll be waiting awhile." I took a handful of the bubbles and blew them so that the air made rivulets into the foam.

"You can't stay in there all day. You'll shrivel like a prune."

He had a point. Still, he wasn't getting an invitation to join me in the bathroom.

Thinking hard about what I should say next, I realized that even if he stayed out there I couldn't very well walk into my room with just my robe wrapped around me. In the same no-nonsense voice, I spoke quietly, "Maybe you should wait for me downstairs. Or in the study."

I could hear his audible sigh before he grumbled that he'd be waiting for me in the study when I was ready to see him.

I tried to take my time finishing my bath. I watched as the last bubbles swirled down the drain before I picked up my book and entered my room to find a heart-shaped box and a single rose resting near the foot of the bed. The bed that I had come to think of as ours. I picked up the flower and sniffed it, noticing that he had opted for pink rather than red. He had once told me that my lips reminded him of pink roses after he wiped the red lipstick stain off of them. I wondered if that's why he chose the flower.

Deciding to forgo the makeup routine, I headed to the study after I had adorned a light cotton dress. Walking in silently, I found him sitting on the same settee I had sat not even an hour ago. His forearms rested on his knees and his head was bowed.

_He looks like he's in pain. _Not just emotional turmoil but physical pain. I knew he'd been a big drinker before we'd met but once we were together, he seemed to clean up his act. From the looks of things, it seemed that he spent the night with his old friend, Wild Turkey. I tilted my head, trying to see his face as I twirled the rose between my fingers.

"Just one flower?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

His head snapped up and he ran a hand through his hair, his eyes filled with remorse. "Emily has the rest. She said she'd put them in a vase."

I nodded.

We sat in silence for a moment.

"I believe you had something you wanted to say?" I stood in front of him, chin held high and waited.

"Rosie. I... you..." he breathed out, noisily. "Won't you sit down?"

I shook my head, folding my arms across my chest. "No. I'd rather not." I could see that he wasn't happy with the response but I wasn't very happy with _him_ so he could squirm a bit. I couldn't let him off the hook too easily.

He rose so that he stood in front of me. His eyes met mine and we stared at each other. I knew that my stare could intimidate, I was relying on it. I wanted him to realize that this was something that I would not back down from. I was ready to take him on fully, just as he had taken me on after my father's passing.

"I... behaved deplorably last night. You were just trying to help and I..." he was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. Edward started pacing back and forth in front of me as I leaned back onto the desk, taking a less defensive stance but still with my arms crossed. He wasn't going to spit out a few haphazard words and get off _that_ easily.

"Yes, you did. And yes I was." I arched an eyebrow at him, while I placed my palms on the desk beside my body, placing the flower on the blotter. "What else were you about to say, Edward?"

He continued on, spewing apologies and professing his jackass behavior. Stoically, I stood while silently listening to his groveling. Once he was finished, I spoke, asking him if he planned to take his father's case and furthermore asking if he was planning on telling me everything that he had kept from me. I could still see a bit of reluctance on his part but he agreed and I knew that it took a lot on his part to do so.

Slumping down onto the settee, his head hung once more and he began to speak. He spoke of his love of his mother and his admiration of his father. In a broken voice, he spoke of his stubbornness, of his mistakes, of his regret. He sat before me, baring his soul and laying it all on the line.

After he'd finished, he did not raise his head. He appeared broken and it wasn't something I'd ever seen from him before. _Forgive and forget. _Daddy always taught me the importance of those words and standing in his study, I was reminded of them once more. I knew that Daddy would have liked Edward, no matter how brash he was on the outside.

I stayed quiet, but took his right hand in my left and pulled his chin up with my free hand. It was a move he'd done on more than one occasion to me and it was important that I see his eyes. Moving my hand toward his cheek, I stroked it with an open palm. He turned his lips toward it, kissing it before nuzzling it with his nose. I moved closer still, tentatively wrapping my arms around his neck. He drew me close to him, his hands grasping my hips.

"Never again," he muttered, his eyes holding mine.

"Oh Edward, we'll most certainly fight again. That's who we are. We're both passionate people, not to mention headstrong. But let us not be stupid and let our emotions rule us. Okay?"

"Okay."

With his answer he stood and I moved closer to him, pressing my lips against his. It was a soft kiss; it was a kiss of apology and one of understanding. We rested our foreheads against one another and took a moment to just be together. After a few minutes, I turned on the balls of my feet, leading him into my room, our hands still intertwined.

"Are we..." he trailed off, questioning hopefully, his eyes trained on the bed.

I smiled at his question. "We are..." I paused for a moment and he moved closer, ironing his front to my back. "...going to have those chocolates!"

"You are evil," he declared, as he kissed my neck softly. _Oh, who's the evil one now?_

"_You're _the one who brought me chocolate."

Pulling away from him, I visited my vanity that had the flowers Emily had put in a vase waiting for me. My fingers grazed the soft petals before I bent forward to smell them.

"Why pink?"

"Red seemed too cliché for you. Plus, the florist had a little card next to the counter and apparently red means passion, and being too passionate is what got me into this mess in the first place." He looked down sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.

Satisfied with his answer, I sat on the edge of the bed and opened the ribbon on the chocolates. With the box resting in my lap, I looked at the chocolates before carefully choosing a candy out of the box. Looking up, I saw him still hovering in the doorway. I patted the bed next to me with my hand and he joined me, sitting next to me and looking at me questioningly. I brought the chocolate to his lips and he grabbed my hand as he easily granted me access to push the candy into his mouth. Before letting me go, he held my fingers to his lips and licked the excess chocolate that had stained my fingers.

I was reminded of our first meeting at the diner a little over six months ago and my attempts to flirt my way into him taking my case. I turned his words back around on him. "I'm not easily _played, _Edward."

He smirked at me before pulling his hand away from mine and reaching into his inner jacket pocket. My eyes widened when I saw him pull out the photograph of him with his folks, the one I had been snooping for the previous day. He reached his arm around me and pulled me close to his side.

"This picture is the only one I have of us together, Rosie. It's from my sixteenth birthday." I looked at his boyish face in the picture, the hope and the youthful exuberance evident in his grin. I knew that full grin although it didn't make an appearance too often. His parents both looked at him with clear adoration. He was their one and only and from listening to his story, I knew it must have hurt them every day to not have contact with him. Hopefully, they were on their way to recovering their relationship. Hopefully, I'd be able to help in that recovery.

"Do you need to call them? Do you want to meet with them on neutral territory? Perhaps you could invite them here rather than going to their house?" I offered. It would be a way for me to help. Ideas in my head for a tea started running wild and I had to pull myself back, stopping those thoughts. _He might still be resistant._

He pulled back to look at my face, his eyes sparkling in amusement. "Well, considering I sort of already mentioned something like that to my mom last night..."

My mouth dropped open. _"Edward!"_ I pushed him playfully against his chest.

"I was drunk and honestly, I'm not ready to go to their house yet. Is it okay? I didn't mean to presume..." he pleaded softly, wrapping his fingers around a strand of my hair and my heart hurt for him a bit more.

"Of course, it's okay. It's more than okay. Why don't you call your parents from the phone in the study and set up something for tomorrow?" My mind once again started to run rampant with planning.

He stood and pulled me with him, kissing me once more, this time leaving me breathless.  
_  
"Thank you."_

* * *

All the love in the world for beta extraordinaire, **KrisBCullen.** We owe her many frilly aprons.

Special smooches for **TheHeartOfLife, BohemianBuffalo, RaeRaeMae_xoxo & Jessica0306.**

"I'll Be Seeing You," the prequel to "My Girl Friday," has been nominated for an Indie Award in the novella category, please take a look at the list of nominees at the link below.

http://www(dot)theindietwificawards(dot) Voting begins tomorrow. :)

If you are in the mood for prequels, we also posted a one-shot called "Good Evening, Miss Hale." Ever wonder what happened between our Rosalie and Emmett? Wonder no longer! Go check it out.

**Reviews get our rambling replies and undying love!**


	5. As Time Goes by

A/N - "My Girl Friday" is a sequel to our eight chapter novella "I'll Be Seeing You" which was nominated for a Indie Award, and can be found on our profile. We hope you enjoy this installment of our little Roseward, they own us forever.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

* * *

**RPOV**

"Miss Rose, would you prefer to use the gold rimmed china or the silver?" Emily stood before me, carefully balancing a plate on each arm.

Looking back and forth at the plates, I thought for a moment before answering. "The gold please, Emily. Oh, and let's have Riley cut some fresh flowers from the garden to place on the table." I saw Jacob leave the room out of the corner of my eye and I knew that he was headed to the patio to seek out Riley. "Now, I guess we should set the dining room table..." I trailed off in thought, tapping my finger against my lip, my other hand resting on my hip. Edward's parents were due in the afternoon and I wanted everything to be _just so_ for them and, more importantly, for him.

"Miss Rose, I think that while the dining room is lovely, it's also quite... formal. I know that Mister Cullen," Edward's head snapped up from the paper he was reading at the small table in the alcove near the kitchen and he gave her a teasing warning look, "that is to say,_ Mister Edward,_ and his parents are reuniting after quite some time. Perhaps it would be more comfortable for everyone to adjourn to the parlor rather than the dining room. It has such an intimate, casual feel."

As Emily finished speaking, I snapped my fingers and started walking toward the parlor. She trailed after me and we left Edward, sitting with his paper and running his fingers through his hair, in our wake. "Of course, that makes perfect sense!" Pulling open the French doors to the parlor, the sunlight poured through the windows giving the room a warm and lovely feel, the breeze slightly ruffling the heavy lemon-colored curtains. My heels were muffled by the Persian rug that covered the hardwood floors and rounded out the room. Tea in the parlor would be _lovely. _"What else is there to do? I must be missing something."

Jacob walked through the doors with the flowers Riley had already cut from the garden in a vase. As always, everyone was very efficient. I could see Emily taking a mental tally of her to-do list for the staff. "Emmett is ready to pick up Dr. and Mrs. Cullen at two o'clock. Sam is making up a plate of the cucumber finger sandwiches that Mister... Edward," she forced herself to call him by his first name and I had to stifled a giggle, before she continued on, "enjoys so much. And of course," she waved her hand around in the air, "I don't think I need to mention he's been baking cookies all morning."

I took a deep breath in, smelling the sweet scent of vanilla and cinnamon that had filled the air of the house from the moment I had awakened. The windows were open wide, which dissipated the scent. It reminded me of holidays and of family; Jasper and I used to steal cookies off the cookie sheet, still piping hot from the oven. My home was the perfect place for a family and I hoped that it would host a happy reunion for Edward's.

The morning flew by quickly and while the staff bustled around us, I returned to Edward's side and sat next to him in comfortable silence, although he emitted a tension that came along with the fact that his parents would be arriving in only an hour. The past few days hadn't been easy ones for him and put him out of his comfort zone. I knew it was difficult for him to swallow his pride and come to talk to me yesterday and now he was taking a giant step with his parents. I only hoped that he would keep his wits about him and _listen_ to what Carlisle and Esme had to say. I knew that they needed him but I think that he needed _them_ just as much.

I heard Emmett before I saw him, his voice echoing through the foyer as he spoke to Emily, asking of our whereabouts in the house. He walked into the room wearing his cap and uniform and I knew that he'd be heading to the Cullens in a matter of moments. Sensing Edward's uneasiness, he clapped his hand down on Edward's shoulder as he checked the address for his parent's house. I was curious about his childhood home, seeing as I had never been there before. Dr. Cullen had an office downtown near La Bella, so I often saw him there or he would make house calls when necessary. Perhaps one day, sooner rather than later, I'd be able to visit their home, the place where Edward took that picture on his sixteenth birthday and where I'm sure many more pictures of him through the years hung on the walls. I couldn't help but be curious, it was my nature.

Emmett headed off to retrieve the Cullens and I turned once more to Edward. It was apparent that he was becoming more and more nervous about their arrival, alternating between sitting at the table and rifling through the paper but never landing on one page and pacing back and forth near the hutch. I knew that words would do nothing to soothe him at this point. Instead, when he scooted his chair out for the hundredth time, I laid my hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. He looked at me, his eyes clouded with confusion, before I sat sideways on his lap. He started to speak and I raised a finger to his lips, saying, "Shhhh."

And I held him, as he held me. We sat there and I comforted him without words. Without pretense. Just he and I wrapped within each other's arms as we had the previous day.

Before long, Emily appeared in the doorway to announce that Emmett had returned with Edward's parents. Standing up, I snapped the radio off which quickly silenced "As Time Goes By." I hastily smoothed my dress and fluffed my hair before turning to Edward.

"Rosie, I don't know if I can..."

It hurt me to see him acting this way, because it wasn't _him. _His actions and words betrayed the man I'd come to know over the past eight months. This was obviously the one difficult part in his life which might have been amusing, considering that he had to deal with far worse while at work on a daily basis. But this was something that caused him personal pain and I would do anything I could to help him through it.

"I _know _you can, Edward."

I smoothed his shirt and picked a piece of lint off his shoulder before leaning in and giving him a reassuring kiss on his lips. My forehead rested his for a moment and I did my best to comfort him with my presence and my thoughts.

Jacob announced Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's arrival and, hand in hand, Edward and I walked into the front foyer of my home. He gripped my hand tighter for a moment and I squeezed back, letting him know that I was there beside him, come what may. He walked forward to them and I stayed rooted in my spot. He needed this moment and I could see from the look in his parent's eyes, _they_ needed this moment; they had for quite some time.

I watched as Mrs. Cullen hesitated for a moment until I heard Edward choke out the word, "Mom." In a flash, she rushed toward him and threw her arms around his neck. She whispered words into his ear before pulling back and holding him at arms length while her eyes frantically took in every detail, as though he might disappear. The hand adorned with a wedding ring was brought up to his hair and her fingers smoothed a lock of his unruly hair back and off of his face. The moment was theirs alone and I felt like an intruder watching them. I focused my attention on Dr. Cullen.

He stood near the door, unmoving and his stance uncomfortable. He reminded me of the first time that Edward had come to the estate, looking around and taking everything in. However, I knew that he was not truly taking in the foyer's architecture as he pretended. It was apparent that his nerves were frayed, both from the reason he had called me in the first place and, I assumed, because he wasn't sure of the response he'd receive from Edward. Mrs. Cullen turned to him, her hand still resting on Edward's arm and she reached for Dr. Cullen with her hand.

"Carlisle? Come say hello."

Edward hesitated for only a moment and he turned his head to look back at me. I gave him an encouraging smile and he turned back, reaching his right hand out toward his father. "Dad..."

Dr. Cullen ran a hand through his hair, a look of embarrassment and relief flashing on his face, before reaching out to grasp Edward's outstretched hand. They shook hands for a moment before Dr. Cullen pulled him into his body and clasped the other arm around Edward in a tight hug. Mrs. Cullen's teary eyes caught mine and she mouthed the words _thank you_ to me.

After a moment, I could see that Edward was starting to pull back and attempting to make the reunion a bit more comfortable. I clasped my hands together and decided to speak up. "Let's not hover in doorways. Please, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, won't you join us in the parlor?"

Dr. and Mrs. Cullen walked hand in hand, while Edward walked next to them, his arm hugged around his mom. It was clear to me that this was how they had walked before, it looked comfortable and natural. Once in the parlor, Edward moved to my side, holding me lightly by the elbow, and we exchanged formalities with one another. Smiling warmly at each other, I was a bit surprised when I was pulled into hugs from both and invited to call them Carlisle and Esme. They settled on the couch together, Esme sitting in the middle with Edward and Carlisle flanking her on both sides. I couldn't help but notice how Carlisle's arm rested on the back of the couch, as though he was protectively wrapping it around both Edward and Esme. Esme kept a gentle hand resting on Edward's, her eyes nearly never strayed from him, unless she was speaking to me or one of the staff. I sat on the plum-colored chair next to them and put myself to work. Emily brought in the tea that had just been made while Edward and his parents caught up with idle chit-chat. I knew that whatever Carlisle wanted to speak to Edward about would come with time.

Watching Edward interact with his parents after so long brought tears to my eyes. My eyes darted between the three of them and the picture of my family hanging in the parlor. My heart contracted painfully in my chest and I needed to excuse myself from the room. I'd give them some time to re-establish familial roles. Stopping in the powder room, I took a moment to dab the pools of moisture that had gathered at the corners of my eyes and splash my face with cool water. I retreated up the steps and found myself once more in my father's study. Checking the small clock that sat on the desk, I saw that while I had left the reunion in haste, my timing was perfect. Sinking down into the desk chair, I picked up the receiver and dialed the number I had committed to memory a few months ago.

"Cook County Jail," a monotone voice answered on the line.

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat that formed every time I heard that flat voice on the other side of the phone line. It was nearly three in the afternoon and prisoners were allowed calls from two until five. "Prisoner 218446, Jasper Hale, please." My finger wound around the phone cord as I waited to hear my brother's voice on the phone. It took a few minutes longer than normal for him to answer, and I wondered if everything was okay. Despite everything that had happened with our father, he was still my brother and I couldn't hold a grudge against him, no matter the circumstance. The more I had spoken to him after everything that happened, the more I realized just what sort of situation he had gotten himself into with the Chicago mobsters. It wasn't an excuse but it was something that I had been thinking about and weighing the options more and more recently. _Forgive and forget. _I had _forgiven_ him but how could we go on to_ forget_ when he lived behind prison walls.

"Hello?" Jasper's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Jasper, it's me." My voice broke a little when I spoke even though I tried to hide it.

"Rosalie," his voice sounded tinny and distant yet laced with concern when he asked, "is everything okay?"

**EPOV**

As we walked into the foyer, it became obvious to me that there was no way in hell I'd have been able to do this without Rose beside me. I was inclined to think that if I had picked up the phone and called them a year ago, it wouldn't have resulted in a meeting so soon. I wasn't fool enough to think that concepts like fate and destiny were realistic, but I had to admit the timing of my meeting Rose was freakishly perfect. I took a deep breath, hoping the calming effect of her perfume would seep into every cell in my body. Her strength flowed into me from her fingertips interlaced with mine. I squeezed her hand, grateful for the strength she was unknowingly feeding me. I knew as soon as her hand was out of my grasp, all my strength would fucking abandon me, like the coward that I was.

She released my hand and I knew I was going to _have _to do this alone. I continued forward and stopped a few feet in front of them. My urge to hug my mother was hard to repress but I managed as I took in her face; I hadn't seen her in ten years. The crows feet at her eyes had deepened slightly and she seemed a smidgen shorter than she had been before. _Maybe I grew since..._I wondered, and then was appalled that the last time I saw my mom, I was still growing. Her hazel eyes sparkled with that vigor for life I remembered well, but it could have just been the joy of reunion. My gnawing conscious whispered to me that, most likely, I had killed that spark and her eyes had been sad and brokenhearted over the last decade.

_Way to fucking go, Cullen._

"Mom...?" I said, my voice hoarse with the grating sound of remorse and guilt.

She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Welcome home," she whispered in my ear, and even though we weren't standing in the foyer of _our_ home, home had always been wherever she was. My mother's embrace would always be home, corny and ridiculously sentimental as that was. She pulled away and her eyes drank me in as she reached up and tried to fix that stubborn cowlick in my hair. She used to always do that, and as a kid it seemed like an anesthetic to me. Nothing could soothe my scrapes and bruises like her gentle maternal touch. All her love for me was plain in her joyful eyes as she looked me over, her critical motherly gaze inspecting me to make sure I was properly fed and clothed. Her forgiveness of me was plain in her eyes too, and only a mother would be so loyal to their child, so ready to let go of past grievances and pain and start anew. My mother was a saint, she always had been.

I glanced at my father, who honestly looked just as uncomfortable as I felt. Suddenly, the distance between us was ridiculously pointless and wasteful, but that didn't help me to take that first step forward. I watched him looking nervously around the foyer and noted that he hadn't lost the handsomeness of his long gone youth. His skin was a little more weathered than I remembered. Probably from his favorite hobby, sailing his Kat on Lake Michigan. His hands fidgeted and betrayed his nervousness, he didn't have his trusty medical bag to fiddle with like he was used to having while facing tough situations. Usually those situations involved telling a patient bad news, never anything that hit him so close to home, that was so personal. His eyes met mine, and there was no anger or resentment in them. I exhaled heavily, as long as I didn't see either of those things, I knew we could work through this, together.

My mother was the first to speak. "Carlisle? Come say hello." She urged. She took my hand in hers and reached toward him with her other. He had always been her rock, and I'm sure my leaving had only forced him to be stronger for her, unable to be vulnerable. So much burden.

_Fucking fix it. Now, Cullen._

"Dad..." I said and put out my hand out to him, and really hoped no one noticed it was shaking. He ran a hand through his hair, then took my hand and shook it. After a moment, he pulled me in for a hug.

That moment was one I'll never forget, my whole life long. The liberating sensation of my self-made shell of guilt and loneliness began to crack. Just crack, but that felt fucking wonderful. His hand still held mine, tightly, like he didn't want to let go. His other arm around wrapped around my shoulder held me in a tight, brief hug. It wasn't the awkward stiff hugs that fathers and sons typically share. This was laced with his joy in that moment, his relief. I was fucking happy he was here for me to hug too.

I pulled away, and Rosie spoke up. "Let's not hover in doorways. Please, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, won't you join us in the parlor?"

Once in the parlor, my parents greeted Rose and thanked her for inviting them. She returned their greeting warmly, and we sat down on the couch. My mother sat between my father and I, and Rose chose a chair beside us. We talked of nothing important...well, nothing that was important to me. They both asked questions like how I had been and where I lived. I answered them as best I could without making mom's brow pucker in concern. She gushed about the articles in the paper about me, and she claimed she'd have to get another scrapbook soon because she was running out of blank pages. I smiled rather adoringly, I knew there weren't _that_ many articles. I asked them similar questions. How had their health been? Did they still have that stray cat mom had taken in on that bitter cold night when I was seventeen? We all knew the things we really needed to talk about were bubbling right below the surface. It was just that none of us were quite sure how, or where, to begin. So I could have fucking kissed Emily when she wheeled in the tea table.

After Rose served the tea and sandwiches, she excused herself and I appreciated the gesture. Yet, I wanted her there, and not because I selfishly needed her quiet strength to keep me still and calm. I wanted her to be included in this conversation, because she was a part of me; I was a package deal now. I watched her exit the room gracefully, and the pain in her eyes was unnoticeable to everyone aside from myself. Seeing the three of us sitting together, a _family_ again, would be understandably hard for her after losing both her father _and _her brother. However broken the Cullens were, we were together now. She thought she didn't have that anymore, but she was wrong. The Cullens would take her in.

As Rose disappeared from my sight, my mother caught my eye and smiled at me.

"She's very beautiful, Edward."

I nodded in full agreement. "Yes, she is, mom. On the inside too," I said earnestly and sipped my tea.

"That's wonderful, son. The Hales have been patients of mine for many years and I've always known them to be the best sort of people," Dad offered genuinely and nibbled on one of Sam's cucumber sandwich sensations.

"Are you proposing?" Mom asked eagerly, leaning toward me as she did. My eyes rolled of their own accord.

"No, mom," I pronounced, and I could feel heat creeping into my cheeks. _What the hell?_ I never blushed. I shook my head. This wasn't why we were here. Although I'm sure in mom's opinion, my love life was the much more pressing matter at hand. However, walking on eggshells was annoying the fuck out of me. I took a deep breath and decided to dive in. That first layer of ice between us had melted and that made it a _little _easier.

I leaned forward and put my cup and saucer on the coffee table. "There are some things I need to say to you both," I began and leaned back into the sofa. Mom started to say something but I stopped her and took her hand.

"Mom, this is important for me to say." She relaxed and gave my hand a gentle squeeze, nodding for me to continue.

"The thing I regret most, is the time we've lost. We can't get the last ten years back, and that's because of my being headstrong, and not listening to you, dad," I said and looked at him. He smiled softly and shook his head.

"Son, perhaps if I hadn't been so insistent that you follow in my footsteps, I wouldn't have driven you away," he said, softly regretful.

"I don't see it that way," I admitted. It was true, I had long since realized that most of this was my doing, my mistake.

"You were a teenager; it's expected for you to act that way. I was the adult, and I forgot who my son was. I should have trusted your choices, Edward. You seem happy, and that is all I wanted."

"I am happy." _Especially now._ Mom squeezed my hand. That brought my back to the other thing I wanted to say.

"Mom, I hate to think about how much I've made you worry all this time."

"Don't be silly, the Chicago Tribune is as good as -" she tried to tease, trying to hide her hurt from me. I stopped her again.

"I'm so sorry, mom," I whispered remorsefully. Her eyes met mine and her lip quivered. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her handkerchief to dab at her eyes. Then she leaned forward and pecked me softly on the cheek.

It was the kiss of my absolution.

* * *

KrisBCullen is our hostess beta with the mostess. She's all feeling blechy which makes us sad since we put those cookies in the chapter just for her. Feel better C.

TheHeartofLife is our other wife. She's our friend, our cheerleader, and one of the best people you'll ever meet. We know we say it every chapter but we love her like crazy.

Have you voted in the Indies yet? Anyone can and there are some great stories that need love! The prequel to this is "I'll Be Seeing You" and you can find it in the novella category. Please check out the stories and VOTE. You never know what you might find!

Finally, we'd just like to give a big ol' hug to the Twilight fandom this week. Hugs are important and so is support. We love you all, we hope you love us, and we would gladly hold your hands if you had something scary you needed to do (like talk to your parents whom you've been estranged from for ten years... or something).


	6. You Go To My Head

This story is a sequel to "I'll Be Seeing You", which can be found on our profile.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything.

* * *

**EPOV**

We remained on the couch for a long while, sharing regrets and airing grievances about our past as a family. The damage would never be completely repaired, we'd never be exactly the same as we used to be. Those were the consequences of the choices we'd made. We would need time to get to know each other again and time to build new happy memories to eclipse the old. We'd taken the first steps.

Dad excused himself momentarily and as I watched him leave the room it occurred to me that Rose wasn't sitting in her chair anymore. My brow wrinkled; I almost stood up to go look for her, but I couldn't leave mom sitting alone. My fingers tapped on the arm of the couch nervously. I hoped Rose was okay.

"Go see what's keeping Rosalie, Edward," My mother said, gently patting my knee. I looked at her gratefully. One thing was certain, mom hadn't lost her uncanny gift for reading my mind. Or maybe I just wore my heart on my sleeve. I leaned in and pecked her cheek before standing and heading in the direction of the office. That seemed to always be where I'd find Rose when she was upset or lonely. Being surrounded by her father's things and the lingering scent of his Cohibas seemed to help soothe her. I knew why she had quietly disappeared, and it wasn't only for the sake of giving us some privacy.

I reached the second story landing and found her in the office, just as I'd suspected. She was standing in front of the open large picture window that overlooked the lawn and gardens, her back to the doorway where I stood. The afternoon sunlight fell in bright beams through the window, making her golden hair, piled delicately on her head, shimmer like spun sugar. She wore a pale yellow dress of some sort of gauzy fabric that fluttered in the breeze floating through the open window. She had her arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself, and my feet started toward her. Just as I came up behind her, she sniffled, and the sound was so fucking filled with sadness, it made me cringe. I knew the cause.

My arms snaked around her waist and I nuzzled her neck, drawing little circles with the tip of my nose before gently kissing her just below her ear. She melted into me, leaning back against my chest and brought one hand up to my cheek. I rested my chin on her shoulder and looked out at the view she pretended to be mesmerized by.

"How is Jasper?" I whispered.

"He's fine," she replied with a shrug, trying to seem casual. That's when I got a good look at her face, her nose was red and her eyes were puffy. She'd been crying. I pulled her closer. "The trial is going to start soon," she added in a whisper, sounding unsure. I squeezed her tighter.

"Everything will be alright." I tried to reassure her, but I knew she was anxious about it. She needed a distraction, and nothing could distract Rose and make her focus like her sense of duty.

"C'mon, back to the parlor Rosie. I need you to keep me in line so I don't drive them away for another ten years?" I begged teasingly and gave her a pleading smile.

She giggled a little and sighed. "Of course, Edward. Forgive me for disappearing so long. I wanted to give you some privacy."

"I know, doll. I appreciate that, but I still missed you every fucking minute," I confessed, reaching up to swipe away the glistening moisture high on her cheekbone with my thumb. My hand cradled her face, and her lips parted. I leaned in, sensing what she needed, and - I had to admit - what I needed too, and kissed her. The kiss was full of the gentle reminder that I was here for her.

After a moment, I broke the kiss and tilted her chin up, "Let's go back downstairs, sweetheart." She nodded, and hand in hand we descended the stairs.

In the parlor, my parents were sitting together nibbling finger sandwiches and chatting. I led Rose by the hand to the love seat opposite them and sat beside her. I was anxious to find out about the trouble my father was in, but once again I wasn't sure how to bring it up. I wasn't aware of how much my mother knew about the situation and I didn't want to accidentally put my dad in hot water. I didn't need to worry though, Rosie came through for me in true form.

"So, Carlisle, what exactly is going on?" she asked, and I almost chuckled at her. Her honestly never fucking failed me.

Dad sighed and put his cup down on the coffee table. As he ran a hand through his hair, I could tell he wasn't relishing whatever it was he had to say.

"Well, for several years, I've volunteered at a clinic in my spare time. One evening, a young woman who was quite far along in her pregnancy came in and asked to speak with me. She was quite nervous and hesitant of everyone, especially the other men. She asked if she could speak to me confidentially. I led her to an examination room, but she wouldn't allow me to shut the door," he began and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Her name was Marie. She was a beautiful girl. She could have been so full of promise, and I'm sure she once was, before I knew her. She was nineteen, unmarried and I guessed by looking at her, seven or eight months pregnant. In a hurried whispered rush, she told me about the night she got off her shift at the dry cleaners and was approached by a handsome well-to-do looking young man with two of his friends. They pulled her into the alley. They pushed her down, her knees splashing in to a filthy puddle. They pushed her head down, scraping her cheek into the gritty asphalt. She claimed she didn't remember the rest, but I never believed her. She asked me to help her find a home for her baby, and to not call the police. I agreed easily to her first request, but was reluctant about the second. I asked her if she knew who her attackers were and she said she didn't."

My mother scooted a little closer to him on the sofa and laid her hand on his shoulder. This was obviously difficult for Dad. His compassion for others had always made him try to put himself in their shoes. He drew a heavy breath and went on.

"I convinced her to let me examine her; I doubted she'd had any prenatal care. As I went through the routine examination, I coaxed more information from her. She didn't have anywhere to go, her family all being in Indiana, and she didn't want them to know what had happened to her. I offered to let her stay with us in our guest room until we could find a home for the infant. She was reluctant and I placed a call to Esme to come down and help me convince her that she would be safe in our home. After lots of compromises and insistence that it wouldn't be an inconvenience to us, she finally agreed."

"I knew a couple who were having difficulty conceiving and contacted them. They were very interested in the baby so I arranged a meeting. They showed Marie their home and the nursery they had decorated a year ago, with it's tiny white crib that had soft blankets and a stuffed rabbit, ready and waiting. She confided in me afterwards that she felt they'd be wonderful parents for her baby, and for the first time I saw her smile, her anxiousness dissipating with the knowledge her baby would be loved."

"She went into labor two weeks later, earlier than I expected. It was a...difficult birth," he paused and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, "and she didn't survive," he finished solemnly.

My mother looked down at her shoes, while her left hand entwined itself in my father's.

"But, the baby survived, right, Dr. Cullen?" Rose asked with an alarmed frown.

"Yes, he did," Dad answered.

I relaxed a little but not completely.

_There has to be more: what's all the trouble about?_

"Where does the trouble come in, Dad?"

"Last week, I got a note in the mail, telling me to expect a phone call on the thirteenth of this month at two o'clock in the morning, and that it would be in my best interest to answer the phone."

The thirteenth was two days ago. "Do you still have the note?" I asked, and hoped he'd say yes, so I could add it to the mental list of possible evidence.

"I do. I wasn't sure if you were going to take the case, so I didn't bring it," he explained apologetically.

"There was no doubt in my mind I'd take the case." It was true, and I wanted them to know that. My mother beamed at me. Dad grinned too, I cleared my throat.

"So the phone call..." I encouraged him to continue.

He sighed heavily. "He called exactly when he said he would. He said they knew about the baby, and that they want him. I have a week to make arrangements and to bring the baby to an address in the Warehouse district. They threatened to hurt your mother, and I can't..." he drifted off and not one of us expected him to finish his thought. The threat drove me into a near murderous rage, but it didn't stop my wheels from turning. The best way to keep mom safe, to keep them _both _safe, was to solve the case.

"So the question is; who _is he_? I assume you were under the impression that you and Esme were the only people who knew about the arrangement and that the baby had survived?" I asked.

"That's correct, Edward. She was very adamant about it."

_Very adamant. That usually means they're hiding something. _I filed that away for later, and moved on.

"Do the new parents know anything?" I probed.

"I haven't said anything to the adoptive couple. _He_ said not to tell anyone, and no police."

"Do you still have any of Marie's things?" I continued, hoping to add to the evidence list.

My mother answered me this time. "I kept some of her more personal looking things, letters and trinkets and such. I thought maybe I could find a way to return them to her family," she said sadly. I smiled softly at her.

_She's such a saint._

It wouldn't hurt to look through the letters, I realized. Maybe I'd see something no one else had yet. "I'll come by and look through them tomorrow, if that's alright?"

"Of course, anytime tomorrow is fine." My mother beamed, and my father nodded encouragingly. I smiled and tried to hide it by averting their gaze and staring at the Persian rug. Despite the bullshit they were facing right now, _we_ were going to be okay, eventually.

A moment later as Rose was about to ring for more tea, Emily came in and announced it was supper time. I looked at the window and saw the setting sun; it was much later than I thought. Rose invited them to stay and after modest apologies for being unexpected and Rosie hushing them with several_ it's-no-trouble-at-all's_ , they agreed. I took Rose's arm in mine and led us to the dining room. Once seated and the salad was being served, I decided not to bring up any more about the case tonight. I needed to mull over what I knew and I'd have a chance to ask more questions later. I relaxed back in my chair and over the course of the meal, I let my guard down. I just enjoyed the foreign feeling of having everyone I loved more than anything all in the same room together. Mom regaled Rose with the stories of what a devious little boy I had been. Like how I used to catch bees, then chase Lauren Mallory around the neighborhood with them. Rose laughed so hard she cried. That made my utter fucking humiliation worth it. That night, over Sam's delectable lamb chops and mint sauce, we created that first, all important, new happy memory.

**RPOV**

The dining room table was significantly more full with the Cullens staying for supper. Looking around the room, my heart swelled as Edward reached over and grabbed my hand, bringing it to his mouth for a quick kiss as his eyes met mine. Esme watched our interactions throughout the meal and I could tell that she was restraining herself from cooing and saying any more than, "You two are very good for one another." Carlisle praised Sam's cooking over and over while stealing glances at Edward and I. I knew Edward was basking in the feeling of having his parents there with us and from that small gesture of him kissing my hand, I could tell that he was pleased with where we were in our relationship as well.

Sam had made a chocolate cake for dessert and presented it to lavish praise from all at the table. Winking at me, he retreated once more to the kitchen. Looking at the cake reminded me of the one that was in the picture Edward carried of the three of them together. I rose from my chair and Edward looked at me questioningly. After stating, "I'll be right back," I went to the front foyer, my heels clicking on the floor, and started rooting around the closet. I found the camera in its folding case on the top shelf, where I had last stored it after Edward and I took pictures outside in the garden. The film from that day was still inside and I walked briskly back into the dining room to find the Cullens looking at me, expectantly.

"I just thought you'd like a new picture," I said softly, the statement held a question.

The smiles I got in response were all the answer I needed. Edward quickly stood and moved to the side of the table with his parents. He placed his hands on both of their shoulders and Esme reached her hand up to hold his tighter to her. Soft smiles were given to me behind the camera and I snapped the shot, a new memory held in time for them. It was different than the last, ten years ago. Edward was now the one standing while his parents sat and he looked protectively over them instead of the other way around.

I started to close the case back up but Edward spoke up. Emily had just finished cutting and plating the cake so he asked for her to take a picture of the four of us together. I moved to his side and together, we smiled at the camera. Esme turned her head at the last moment, looking up at the both of us, her eyes shining. I wondered if the camera would be able to catch the adoration that was permeating the room.

After we were finished, Emily took the camera and said she would return it to the closet. Edward and I both rounded the table, coming back to our seats, and started in with the conversation once more. I loved hearing the stories of Edward when he was younger, the things that only parents would share. Edward shared the occasional story with me here and there but there were certain things that would stick out in a parent's mind that would seem inconsequential to a child. They shared _these_ stories with great enthusiasm and if it was possible, I listened with even more enthusiasm.

The time passed quickly and soon Emmett came into the dining room to see if they were ready to leave. After he left to pull the car into the driveway, we walked into the foyer and Emily brought their coats to them.

"Should I bring Mister Edward's coat as well?" she asked, looking between the two of us.

He looked at me and then at his parents, and once more, back to me. I wasn't planning on having him go _anywhere _but I also didn't know how to broach this subject with his parents. We were adults, for goodness sake, but I felt like a child at the moment and I could tell that he did as well. He was _their _child, at that.

Awkwardly, I jumped in. "Um, I... I... have something that needs Edward's attention." Turning to him, I looked at him, beseechingly. "Perhaps you could stay a few minutes longer? We'll call a cab once we are finished?"

Esme patted my cheek and smiled broadly at Carlisle. Mercifully, neither of them said anything other than telling Edward to get home _safely. _Edward let out a quiet groan and looked down at his shoes for a moment before hugging both of his parents. As Carlisle pulled away from Edward, he gently punched him on the shoulder and said, "See you tomorrow, kiddo. And... thank you. For agreeing to help and for... everything."

Once the door closed behind them, we both let out a sigh of relief and then chuckled at the awkward exchange. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. "So, you have something that needs my attention, hmm?"

I lowered my eyes and looked up at him, coyly. "I do. But once we're done, you need to go home." I teased him as I turned my body toward the stairs, with him still holding onto my hips. "After all, that's what we told your parents and I don't want to _lie _to them."

"You'd just kick me to the curb like that? And after only a few _minutes, _at that?" he asked, as he walked close behind me. "Maybe I'll just have to pay... _attention, _all night long." I gasped at the naughty suggestion as I felt him press up against me and knew that could probably be arranged. "That way, I won't have to leave."

After all that had happened recently, the _last _thing I wanted him to do was leave and I needed him to know. I quickly amended my statement as we entered the bedroom, "A little white lie won't hurt anyone, right?"

He agreed as I sat down at my vanity, pulling the pin from my hair and picking up my brush. I asked quietly, "Are you okay?" In the reflection of the mirror I watched as he strode over to the radio and turn the switch, fiddling with the dial until he settled on "You Go to My Head."

"Ahhh, Billie," he sighed at the song while he paced behind me, removing his shirt and pulling his undershirt from his pants. "I'm fine, doll. Just a little tense after all that's happened recently." He sat on the edge of our bed and continued to undress, removing his shoes and socks. His movements were stiff and jerky and I could tell that the day had taken a toll on him, more than he let on or would ever say.

Quickly, I unbuttoned the dress I was wearing while sitting there at the vanity. As I stood, it fell off my shoulders. His eyes were trained solely on me as I walked to him, climbing up onto the bed behind him. Leaning forward, I let my nose trace his circles on his neck, as he had done earlier in the office. I could feel him lean into my body and my breasts brushed up against his back.

"You need to relax. We both do."

He grunted as my hands pressed hard circles in his shoulders, my lips kissing lightly along his neck. His hand reached to me and he grabbed my torso, shifting me so that I was sitting on his lap, my legs wrapped around him.

"We both need attention," he muttered softly as he unsnapped my bra clasp in the back with one hand. I continued to press my hands along his shoulders while he leaned forward, nuzzling into my breasts with his nose and mouth. "So soft. I love your skin here."

It was the perfect opening. The perfect opportunity for me to say those words I'd been thinking. Those words that conveyed my feelings. But he continued speaking. "I love your skin everywhere." His lips skimmed along before opening around the tip of my breast and all words escaped me as I moaned in response.

Pushing him back onto the bed, I quickly rid him of the remaining garments he wore before deftly rolling my stockings down and removing my garter and panties. There was a time for _slow_ but this wasn't one of those times. We _needed_ one another. The comfort, the warmth of the other. Climbing on top of him, my hair hung over his face as I pressed my body to his. Our legs tangled and his arms wrapped around my body as he held me close to him. My nose pressed into his neck and I breathed in his scent: the Lucky Strikes, the coffee he had with his cake, the sweet chocolate of the cake, and the cologne I'd had made for him as a gift. Tilting my head back slightly, I took his earlobe between my teeth and bit, knowing that it was a sweet spot for him.

"Rosalie," he growled lowly as he flipped me easily onto the bed, the sheet ruffling under my body. "In case you haven't noticed, I _need_ you." His eyes were smoldering and I knew he needed me because I needed him just as much. _I loved him just as much._

"Well then, _take_ me." I countered back, offering myself up to him, arching my back slightly and pressing my breasts forward. "I _need _you, too."

Not taking his eyes off of me, he reached over toward the nightstand and opened the drawer. His fingers knew exactly where the prophylactics were in the drawer. In a fast movement, the wrapper was shed and he placed the condom on, before he laid back on the bed. I looked at him, questioning what he was doing laying back rather than climbing on top of me and taking me.

"Get on top of me," he demanded. "I need to watch you, gorgeous." I usually gave him a run for his money and argued with him when he demanded things, often times just for arguement's sake. I wasn't one to give into demands and he full well knew it.

Not tonight though. I wanted him then and there and I_ needed_ _for_ him to watch me. _For _him to see what he did to me.

Swinging my leg over his body once more, I kissed him with force. Our mouths melded and I quickly reached a hand down, in between us, stroking him for a moment and then guiding him inside my body. The noises we emitted were one and the same and I leaned back, kneading his thighs as I took him deeper and as he took me higher.

His eyes hungrily swept my body and he brought his hands up to my hips as we found a rhythm that suited us both. I tossed my head back, pushing myself into him harder still, needing to feel him. My hair swept my back and his thighs and he mumbled curses under his breath. His hands continued their journey up my body and they were everywhere, fanning the fire and spurring it on. He shifted me forward and once more, his warm mouth found my breasts as he lavished them with kisses and his tongue and his teeth tugged gently on their peaks.

Leaning onto my forearms, my body never slowed as my fingers wound their way into his hair, pulling and moving of their own accord. Shifting back slightly, I looked into his eyes. I saw that he was at the same point I was. Nearly there. Nearly at that climax.

"You feel so good, Rosie." I whimpered at his words as I shifted once more, reaching up to the headboard and grasping on with both hands. Our moves syncopated and I felt his hand between us, his fingers expertly finding where they needed to be. I took a sharp breath and I knew we were both moments away. Finding our comfort within one another. Finding our strength within one another.

Our eyes connected, he earnestly stated, "You're everything I'll ever want, Rosie."

Those words and the look in his eyes sent me tumbling over the edge. My orgasm taking him along with me, he pushed further still into me and we both surrendered to the feelings that washed over us. He kissed me again and again as I collapsed on top of him. Once we had come down from our high, he gently rolled me onto the bed and promised me his return.

While he was in the bathroom, my mind thought of the words he had spoken with such conviction. I had to believe that it wasn't something he said in the heat of the moment, it was something he truly felt. When he came back to my side, he climbed in the bed and wrapped his arms around me.

I turned to face him, my head rested on his arm as we looked into each other's eyes and his ran his fingers softly through my hair. "Did you mean that? What you said?" A vulnerability that I didn't know I had crept into my voice.

"Everything and more."

"As you are for me," I breathed out, smiling softly.

Making good on his promise to pay attention all night, he started kissing me once again. We didn't sleep much that night.

* * *

KrisBCullen is the Beta to our...Kappa? No matter what, it's love in any alphabet.

TheHeartOfLife was the inspiration, and still is. All the time.

Special snugs to Bohemian Buffalo, Izzzyy and Edwardville.


	7. String Of Pearls

String of Pearls

**EPOV **

The next morning when I awoke, spooned up against Rosie, her flaxen hair tangled in my scruffy chin, I had to resist the urge to begin the morning the same way we'd ended the previous night. After all, I had a busy day ahead of me. The summer morning sunlight streamed through her gauzy ivory curtains and I breathed in the scent of her roses with complete contentment. I snuggled closer, and relished the fact that her skin against mine felt softer then the satin sheets beneath us. It had been over a week since I'd shared Rosie's bed, and being here with her now made me realize just how much I'd missed it, especially after the turmoil of the last few days. It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for a fella, even when there wasn't much sleeping involved. Twenty four hours ago, Rosie and I were still walking on eggshells after our fight, and I was a nervous wreck, anxiously awaiting the reunion with my parents that was ten years overdue. She'd forgiven me for our fight much more quickly than I'd thought she would. Not to mention, she'd helped ease the tension of the first awkward reconciliatory meeting between me and my parents. I watched her sleep and allowed myself the luxury of reliving a few moments from last night.

The sex had been different than before; in fact, it couldn't really be categorized as sex. It was too emotionally involved for such a commonplace term. It was different because there'd been an underlying driving force, a need that went beyond base sexual desire. It was more of an insistent demand to soothe the aching in our hearts from the hurts we'd both endured. Last night was the closest I'd ever come to uttering those three words in earnest to anyone. They danced on my lips, fucking anxious and _begging _to be whispered in her ear, but instead I just buried my face in her hair and bit my tongue. Instead, I made love _to _her. I couldn't say the words, but I vowed she'd never doubt how I _felt_ about her. I showered every inch of her with reverent and hopelessly devoted attention because she'd been my salvation in so many ways, and I fucking adored her for that. In her, I'd found solace. In her, I'd found my future. She'd rescued me. Again.

_You're still the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in Chicago, Cullen._

I sighed and nuzzled her neck before slowly pulling away from her. Carefully, I slipped out of the bed and quickly threw on some pajamas and a robe from the extra clothes I kept in the closet. I crept out of the room and went down the steps toward the kitchen with the intention of surprising her with breakfast in bed. After a few knowing smiles and some polite ignoring of the obvious by Sam and Emily, I departed the kitchen with Rose's breakfast tray and returned to her room, excited by the prospect of spoiling her a little more. I tiptoed into the room and sat the tray on the vanity before quickly taking off the robe and sliding back into the bed beside her.

"Hiya, dollface," I whispered and nibbled her earlobe, my hand tracing patterns on her hip over the satin sheet. She stirred and murmured a groggy, breathy good morning then scooted back closer to me. I spent the next half an hour kissing her and feeding her, and just fucking _worshiping_ her. She rewarded me with an offer to take a shower together, and automatically my lips twisted into a devilish grin. My grin fell when she reminded me I had an investigation to attend to that morning. I nodded in agreement; she was right. That didn't stop me from trying to persuade her otherwise once we were surrounded by the balmy hot steam of the shower. I was persistent, but she stood firm and I was reminded again how perfect she was for me. She'd _never_ let me push her around.

After the shower, I got dressed and called a cab since Emmett would be driving Rose to the office. We didn't want to say goodbye, we still hadn't really made up for the week I'd been gone. The shower didn't help either. I kissed her goodbye with palpable reluctance and then left to wait downstairs for the cab to take me back to my past. Before long, I found myself pulling up to the Victorian red brick house with the semi circle driveway, the green shutters and mom's roses edging the green lawn. My hands actually started shaking and I hastily lit a smoke, torn between the urge to stay in the cab and tell him to keep driving, and run right through that door like I'd never left. I decided I couldn't do either. I paid the cabbie and got out. At the door, my hand reached out to ring the door bell, and action that felt slightly alien to me because technically it was the first time I'd rung the bell. I used to have the privilege of opening the door and just walking in. My shoulders slumped.  
_  
Not yet, Cullen. You haven't earned it yet. _

I waited, but no one answered. I grasped the knob in my hand, figuring I'd maybe let myself in after all. I was surprised when it turned and opened. I'd have to talk to mom about leaving the door unlocked, especially considering the present circumstances. I stepped through the door and called out a hello, but again no one replied. I shut the door behind me and took in the small foyer. It was just as I remembered it, low ceilinged, square, and constructed entirely out of cherry wood. The paneling on the walls matched the hue of the floor and ceiling. The floor was covered in the grey and blue patterned Persian rug dad bought mom for their seventh anniversary. Dad's dragon fly motif stained glass light hung above me, and even when it wasn't lit, it had a blue glowing reflective quality. Opposite where I stood in the doorway, was a cherry staircase with a hallway on each side. I knew the hallway on the right led to my father's study and the family sitting room, where dad would play pool and mom would read on the sofa. The hallway on the left led to the parlor, dining room and kitchen.

Suddenly, Mom came rushing from the back of the house and threw her arms around my waist, holding me tightly. I could sense her underlying reluctance to pull away, as if she were making up for lost hugs. I hugged her back warmly.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said smiling up at me.

"Hi, mom. Where's Kate? She's still with you, right?"

"She certainly is, Tuesday is her day off," she exclaimed.

"Promise me you won't leave the door unlocked, okay?" I asked.

"Nonsense," she exclaimed, waving her hand dismissively. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Mother," I said firmly, catching her eye and holding her gaze. "Promise me."

"Alright, don't worry, I'll keep the doors locked. Now, have you had breakfast?" She asked again.

"Yes," I said, my mind fell back to the vision of Rose with tousled hair under the blankets this morning. I smiled and mom quirked an eyebrow at me. Dammit, I'd forgotten how observant she was. I was out of practice and hiding my feelings about Rosie was nearly impossible anyway.

_It's pointless to hide anything from her, Cullen. Just be fucking honest._

Mercifully, she let it pass without comment. Maybe she felt the fragile threads of reconciliation we'd woven together yesterday were too delicate for direct conversation about my love life. Mom always did have a sense of timing.

"I was just finishing up my coffee, Edward. Why don't you join me?" she persuaded and threaded her arm through mine. Arm in arm we walked into the dining room. A radio sat on the buffet, and "String of Pearls" added a cheerful soundtrack to the scene. The table was set with Mom's everyday china, her cut crystal glasses sparkling in the sunlight, filling the room from the big bay window that overlooked the backyard. I saw two plates, one with a half eaten serving of pancakes swimming in syrup and the other held a variety of bright and cheerful and utterly boring fruit. A platter of eggs and bacon also sat there obviously untouched. I eyed mom suspiciously.

"Mom, you and dad couldn't have eaten all of this." I gestured to the eggs and bacon. She shrugged.

"You can't blame me for hoping I'd have breakfast with my son, can you?" she said, pretending to be affronted. I chuckled.

"Get me a plate please, mom," I said. I could always find room for eggs and bacon. She smiled and shuffled off to the kitchen, returning soon with a place setting. She pointed at a chair for me to sit down while I watched her happily dish up me healthy portions of eggs, bacon and English muffins. She tried to add fruit but I wrinkled my nose, and stuck out my tongue at her. She laughed pretty hard, and it was heaven to hear that sound again, and to be responsible for inspiring it.

"Did I miss Dad?"

"Yes," she replied and handed me my plate. "He had patients scheduled early this morning, but he was hoping maybe you'd be here for supper." I didn't have to look up from the eggs I was devouring to know how much she was hoping, too. Her tone told me how optimistic she was.

"Sure, Mom. Do you mind if I invite Rose?" I asked knowing Rose would love that. I knew how much she missed family dinners.

"Of course." Mom beamed at me and I knew that look. _Crap_. My collar felt a little tighter all of the sudden.

"Are things..._serious _between you two?" she asked with an equal mixture of concern about being nosey, and downright elation at the idea of it. I never liked lying to Mom, but at the same time I couldn't very well _admit_ that Rosie and I were basically shacking up and living in sin.

_Tread carefully, Cullen. _

"We see each other quite a bit," I allowed, wondering how long that would appease her.

"How often is quite a bit?" she persisted and I got my answer. Not long at all.

"Every day," I clarified, hoping that was _clear_ enough and took a bite of bacon.

"You love her, Edward," she said factually in the same tone I used for debriefing Sergeant Swan. _What the hell?_ I cleared my throat and started to speak, started to say..._something_. Not to defend myself, there wasn't anything to defend, but to just stop her train of thought. I wasn't used to being the person getting the interrogation, I was used to giving it. Still she was my mother...and her parental rights afforded her _some_ privileges. She took my silence as affirmation that she'd guess the truth. She was dead on again.

"Have you told her?" she asked quietly. I shook my head no. "I have your grandmother's ring you know, should you ever have need of it," she offered in her characteristic optimism. I very nearly choked on my English muffin.

"Okay, mom, that's enough," I begged and sat my muffin down. She smiled sheepishly at me and shrugged.

"Oh alright, Edward. I'll stop. It's just that I can see how happy she makes you, and I like to see you happy. I'm your mother. It's my purpose in life."

"I know, thanks," I said awkwardly and tried to sound genuine. I was grateful that she cared but it felt too soon for this conversation, too soon to be having it with my _mother. _I hadn't even discussed it with Rosie, so I quickly changed the subject.

"What do you say we go up to the room Marie occupied while she was here?" I suggested as I stood up from the table. She smiled, understanding my need to talk about something else and we left the dining room to make our way upstairs.

She led me to the door of my old room. Part of me was instantly sad that that the room was no longer mine, but what should I have expected? It was a selfish reaction and I tried to blow it off as I stepped into what used to be my bedroom. They had put wallpaper up, and it's wispy fern fronds against the creamy white paper matched the pale green furnishings and bedding. I took another step forward and the floorboard under me creaked right where it _always_ had. I could never sneak out of my room because of that damn board, it's groaning protest against my weight could wake the whole house. I'd hated that noise in my youth, yet now, it was oddly comforting.  
_  
At least some things never change. _

"I'm sorry, Edward. We packed up your things. You father thought it would be best." Her thought hung in the air and I clenched my jaw. She meant best if my things weren't a constant reminder to her. Dad had been right, of course.

"I have everything in boxes for you..." she trailed off apologetically.

"Don't worry about that now," I soothed. "Where are these letters and things you have of Marie's?"

"Oh, wait. I'll fetch them. I left them in your father's office. I'll be right back," she answered and turned to leave the room. I watched her go, then turned to look at the room with a more critical eye. I hoped focusing on my job would help me get my mind off of my own guilt and mom's interest in Rose. I started to search the room, hoping maybe I'd find something that had been overlooked. I began with the dresser, pulling out every drawer all the way and looking in the empty spaces left behind. I searched under the bed, between the mattress and box spring, between the headboard and the wall. Under the rugs. I pulled up the cushions on the sitting chairs.

I found nothing.

The closet, I'd forgotten the closet. I walked toward the closet door and threw it open. Empty. I sighed and leaned against the door frame, contemplating what to do next if the letters mom was getting turned up nothing useful. My eyes fell to the floor of the closet, to a hole in one of the floor boards, and a rush of memories flooded my mind. I pushed off the frame, and took a few steps forward into the closet. I knelt down next to the hole and stuck my finger in it, flipping the board up and out. As a boy, this secret nook under the floor had been my hiding place for my most precious treasures. Things like my marble collection and the playing card with the naked lady on it I'd swindled Mikey Newton out of when he'd bet me I couldn't get Jessica Stanley to kiss me. I peered into the dark rectangular hole and put my hand in, wondering if some of my toys might still be there. Maybe a few had escaped the clearing out of my things. I felt fabric tied in a bundle and a book of some sort. I pulled both items out and sat on the floor, cross legged. The bundle took my notice first. I untied it and pulled back the fabric to reveal a collection of small trinkets and toys. I knew immediately that they were mine, things that had been under the floor for years. My most prized marbles, a tiny tin race car and a red wooden top. The nude Queen of diamonds was, ironically, nowhere to be found.

Why were my toys tied up like this? I knew I hadn't left them that way; it was much too studious and neat for it to have been me. I took a closer look at the fabric and realized it was a handkerchief. On the corner, stitched very elegantly in pale blue silk thread were the initials _RK._ My eyes flickered to the book and I opened the cover, flipping the first few pages until I saw print. On the third page, scrawled in less than perfect handwriting in black ink a single line read simply:

_My Diary._

**RPOV**

Emmett was humming a tune under his breath while he drove downtown to the La Bella offices. He and I chatted for a few minutes but then I was lost in my own little world. He had asked me the same question three times, before I muttered an answer which did not answer his question at all. After joking with me about it, he gave up on his attempts at keeping the conversation alive.

My thoughts were focused on Edward, as they usually were when we were apart. I felt like a lovesick fool but I rather fancied myself as one. Edward and I finally _did _fall asleep in the early morning hours and while our activities cut into my normal sleeping time considerably, there was nothing better than waking up to find Edward by my side. When he was near, the lack of sleep was unimportant; I'd rather have him than any sleep at all. I felt his fingertips tracing large circles on my hip and I rolled toward him, mumbling and stretching my body before his lips further roused me. Our noses kissed and he nuzzled his face into me. My eyes were shut but I felt him as he skimmed his nose along my face and my neck and I wrapped my arms around his body. He breathed in deeply, his chest rising and expanding, before pulling back and kissing me once more. Opening my eyes, I found his face inches from mine, his eyes studying my face and lighting when my lids opened. I'd never felt so adored.

The mornings were usually rushed. I would rise with the sun and then push us through the morning routine, except for those very rare occasions that I allowed him to bring me back to bed. There was always the rush for something else, constantly moving along to the next thing. It's how I operated. That morning, I surprised the both of us by snuggling into him more and letting my lips brush over the curve of his collarbone. We were together again and I fully intended to enjoy every moment I spent with him. We shared a lazy breakfast in the room and there was little that was more sexy than Edward feeding me fruit with his fingers. When I told him that, he grinned that incredibly wicked grin at me. After breakfast I suggested a quick shower together, where I had to remind him, repeatedly might I add, that we both had places to go that day. I nearly gave in on more than one occasion but the promise of later seemed to appease him, for the time being. I loved sharing a shower with him and it was something we didn't do nearly enough. Smiling to myself, I thought, _We need to remedy that._

Looking around, I remembered that I was in the car and I saw Emmett staring at me in the rear view mirror. After assuring him that I was fine and turning redder at being caught having such _racy _thoughts, I opened my window a bit with the crank on the door. Now was not the time to be daydreaming of him and I chided myself. It was high time that I cleared my head and my thoughts of Edward and focused on La Bella. At least for the day.

The weekly staff meeting was scheduled every Tuesday afternoon. I often worked from home on Mondays so Tuesdays were when I was guaranteed to be in the office. That particular day I needed to get there a bit early to run over some figures with Ben, our primary account auditor. He had been with the firm that worked with La Bella for years and knew the ins and outs of our business nearly as well as my father had. Looking at my notes I saw that I'd be meeting with Ben at half past eleven and the staff meeting with my product development team was scheduled for after lunch. Squaring the papers together on my portfolio, I tucked them into the front pocket and scrawled a few notes for new product ideas on the notepad before shutting the folder.

Before long, Emmett pulled the car in front of the office building and, taking his hand, I stepped out of the car and walked purposefully into the building. Claire was at her desk near my office, the keys of the typewriter hitting the page at an extreme pace. "Good morning, Miss Hale. I was just typing up the notes from the meeting with the California office. Can I get you anything?"

"Thank you, Claire, but I'm fine. I'm expecting Ben Cheney here in awhile. Will you let me know when he arrives?"

"Certainly. Also, Miss Hale..." She turned in her chair and stood, moving toward me until she was directly by my side. Leaning in, she spoke in a hushed tone, close to my ear. "The lawyer from Jasper's trial called and asked that you call him at your earliest convenience." Her discretion was appreciated and had not gone unnoticed by me. Claire had also been with La Bella for quite some time. I knew when to hold on to someone that was good to me.

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you for the message. I'll ring him this afternoon after I wrap up the meetings."

I got to work quickly. Ben arrived soon after I did and since it was nearly lunch time, we walked to the local deli and had lunch before returning to the office to further discuss La Bella's finances. He assured me that our performance was on track with what we projected. Surprisingly, even though the war was still going on, La Bella was thriving. Ben and I spoke about the numbers from the previous year and the increase in sales thus far for the current quarter. Everything seemed to be on the up and up and I was grateful to have him talk me through, each step of the way. I'd learned a bit about this aspect of the company while my father was alive but I wanted to be kept abreast of all things involving the company now that I was the CEO. It was a lot of responsibility, but I was able to rely on the wonderful people who worked for and with La Bella.

I walked Ben to the double doors near the front of the building. I always tried to make my presence known to the employees and I found the best way to do this was to constantly walk around and be seen. I shook Ben's outstretched hand when we reached the door, thanking him once more for all of his work and dedication to La Bella. After accepting my regards to his wife, Angela, he tipped his hat and walked out onto the street.

The staff meeting went smoothly, as I expected it would. I shared some of the information I had learned from Ben and my thoughts on the new bubble bath. We were updated on some older projects that were coming to a close and Leah shared her proposal on a new product that was in the beginning developmental stages. After requesting cost information and specs from her, we wrapped up with good things that happened during the week. It was something my father used to do at every staff meeting. We'd share a good event that happened, whether it be personal or work related. He felt that it helped him learn more about the people who worked in the company and I agreed. That week I heard about a new grandchild, a wedding, and a variety of other topics, all of which made me smile. Daddy always stressed the importance of knowing your staff well and I made notes as people spoke so I would remember to send a congratulatory card.

Once our meeting was done, I asked Claire for some privacy as I went into my office, shutting the door behind me. Sitting down at my desk, I took a folder out of the top drawer which I had labeled simply, "Jasper."

I dialed the lawyer's office, it was a number I knew by heart now, and his secretary put me through immediately. The Hale name was one that came with respect, despite all that had happened with Jasper. I played with the framed picture I had of Jasper and me on my desk. The picture had been on the desk when my father sat here. I had changed very little when I'd moved into his office. Really, the only difference was that the smell of Cohibas was slowly being replaced by the smell of roses, and another of my mother's old compact mirrors now resided in the main desk drawer along with a tube of lipstick. I hoped that those would be the only noticeable differences between my leadership and his, as well. Tracing my fingers over Jasper's face once more, I wondered if his lawyer would be able to work his magic. He was the best of the best in Chicago and the name that came back to me from more than one person when I was researching lawyers.

"Miss Hale? Are you there?" Marcus' voice questioned, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, I'm here, Marcus. Thanks for taking my call." I sat up straighter in my chair, picking up the pen next to my folder.

"Of course, kid." He immediately got down to business. "Now here's the deal. I've been keeping my ear to the ground and I think we've caught a break. Did you see the paps a few weeks ago, the stories about cops on the take?"

I hummed my confirmation. Of course, I had. It was big news that there were dirty cops in town. No one expected it and I knew it was something that had kept Charlie Swan both busy and steaming mad.

"Well, that cop that took Jasper's confession? Aro? He was one of _those cops_! Guy is singing like a lark to save his own hide. The judge on Jasper's case has already said that the confession is inadmissible! That means OUT, kid. Can you believe it? Aro even went on record and said that they had your brother and a couple of other poor little rich boys over a barrel."

I sat up straight at the end of my chair and stared at the picture of the two of us together. "I... I don't even know what to say! What happens now?"

"Now, all I have to do to get Jasper acquitted is create reasonable doubt. I have to present an argument at the trial that the mob was giving your father the ol' shake down and that will give us reasonable doubt we need. Rosie, it's a way for your brother to be acquitted. It's our best case for keeping Jasper out of jail. There's no way I can put him on the stand. We'll be taking our chances with Aro and the jury." He took a deep breath before wrapping up his thoughts. "So, there you have it. The trial is next week. It's not in the bag just yet but the judge on the case happens to like me. Very much. As long as things play out the way they should, I'm hoping we'll be as golden as that hair on your head, kid."

My mind was running with all the information he just provided. "I can't tell you how much this means to me, Marcus."

"Look, kid. Up until this point, you know we didn't have much of a chance, and I know you were looking for a miracle. Now that you have one, you have to deal with what you know and what you feel inside. I might be able to get him acquitted, but it's going to be up to you whether or not you ever see him as not guilty. You know what I mean?"

"I think so, Marcus. He's my brother and I love him. He's all the family I have. But we still have a lot to deal with. Thanks to you, hopefully we'll be able to do that. I owe you so much--"

He cut me off with a short bark of laughter. "No need to tell _me. _You can express your gratitude by passing my name along to any of your colleagues or friends that need a lawyer. Word of mouth is always good for business."

We said our goodbyes and I got up and searched the corner of the room, where I kept a pile of the newspapers for the past few weeks. I usually held onto them for any information about La Bella I might have missed but this time I pulled the articles that Marcus had mentioned, putting the clippings into the folder before returning it to the drawer. Leaning back in my chair, I let out a long sigh. It was a long day but a productive one. Now that it was nearly done, I finally allowed my thoughts to return to Edward.

I knew he had probably spent his entire day at his parent's house and I couldn't help but wonder how things had gone for him and the investigation. I was certain that there had to be more than what Carlisle and Esme knew about the situation and my heart ached for Marie and the baby she never even got to hold before her passing. It reminded me of my own mother passing during childbirth with Jasper. Jasper never had the chance to know our mom and I guess somehow my mind connected helping this baby to helping him.

Just as I was getting antsy and considering calling the Cullens, the private line rang. Eagerly, I picked it up and lifted the receiver to my ear. "Hello, La Bella Cosmetics, Ros--"

Edward's impatient voice cut off my standard greeting. "Rosie, baby. It's me."

"Hi! How's it going? Did you find anything? How's your mom?" I threw question after question at him as I listened intently for his response. I immediately bristled when I heard him chuckle lowly. "Don't laugh at me! Share!"

He decided to indulge me and I could hear the smile in his voice. "It's going well. I found some things that will _definitely _be of use. And as for Mom and Dad, they are both doing well. In fact, I'll tell you more... in a little while? When you come here for dinner with us?" He asked the question like there was some way I would deny the invitation.

The smile on my face could surely touch both of my ears and I happily sighed my reply, "Yes! Of course. I can't wait to hear more stories from Esme about you." He groaned and I laughed at his attempts to sound surly about that. I knew he enjoyed it just as much as I did. "Oh and I spoke to Jasper's lawyer so we'll have to talk about that later too. When do you want me?"

His answer was immediate. "Now. Always."

"Well, I don't have a special machine from the future that will do that for me," I joked as I started collecting my purse and a few folders I had to bring home that evening. "I'll call on Emmett; he should be in the building by now."

"Until then," he spoke lowly into the phone.

I blew a kiss into the phone. "I'll be there soon, my darling."

* * *

KrisBCullen is our fantastic beta. She went above and beyond for this chapter, especially with the lawyer talk. If you are into RPF, she write a great one called Loss of Control over on Twilighted under the name KrisB. Happy Remember Me Day Chris!

TheHeartofLife is such a beautiful person, inside and out. She writes a story called The Long Way Home which we can guarantee is unlike anything you've read.

Thanks to all of YOU for reading our Roseward.


	8. Back In Your Own Backyard

Stephenie Meyers is still one lucky and rich lady. We don't own piddly squat, as usual.

* * *

Back in Your Own Backyard

**RPOV**

The traffic signal was stuck on red. I stared at it, willing it to change and drumming my fingernails in time to Lucy Ann Polk crooning on the radio, "Back in Your Own Backyard." I was pretty sure that Emmett was going to throw me out of the car before we even got to the Cullens, I was driving him bananas with my impatience. I leaned forward like an anxious child and spoke by the partition near Emmett's head. "How much further?"

Emmett's low chortle floated through the glass and he shook his head in disbelief. "You mean since you asked two minutes ago? And I told you ten minutes? It's been a long time since I've seen you with ants in your pants. This is pretty funny."

"Oh, hush. Stop making fun of me! I'm excited to see where Edward grew up _and _to find out what he discovered today about the case." From my summation, Emmett had heard a bit in the car from Carlisle and Esme while he had driven them to and fro the day prior. They'd known him for many years now as well from meetings back when Daddy was alive. Together they came up with the work out regiment that Daddy and Emmett partook in each morning. I leaned back so my head was near his, the glass partition hard against my skull. Glancing down at what I was wearing, I was suddenly nervous that my office attire wasn't appropriate for supper. It was a simple white dress with small hyacinth-colored flowers. I turned once more in my seat so I could talk to him again, my arms resting on the mohair. "Do I look okay?"

Emmett groaned. "You're kidding, right? Did you _really _just ask me that, sweetheart?"

"Placate me," I demanded and his laughter once again drifted back toward me, his eyes still trained on the road.

"You're gorgeous, kiddo. You know this. I know this. Stop being such a _girl."_

I glared at him in mock indignation. "Emmett McCarty! You know I would punch you if I could reach you."

"Well, then. I've never been so thankful for this glass. I know that you pack a mean punch. You'd probably knock me to the floor." His lips pressed into a line as he concentrated on the left turn he was making. I thought about the last real punch I threw and realized it was when I hit Jasper, that day in the study. Not wanting my thoughts to dwell on that, I focused my attention back on my line of questioning of the Cullen's house.

"So, tell me. What does the house look like? Did you go inside?"

Emmett acquiesced and I listened to every word with interest. "Well, Dr. Cullen was trying to insist that I come in for tea when I came to pick them up yesterday, but I think he was just being polite. Or maybe it was because he was nervous as all get out." Emmett had told me on more than one occasion that he gets to hear a lot of interesting information as a driver. Apparently some people forgot that there was actually a _person_ on the other side of the partition, even though they could full-well see him. In fact, that's how Daddy found out about a business associate who was not on the up and up. The Cullens were the type of people who would engage Emmett in conversation though and he told me of how Carlisle was acting just like Edward and how bizarre it was to see the two of them, so alike in their nerves.

"We're nearly there, Rosalie. They live near the end of this street."

I figured I'd ask about the girl Emily told me he was seeing. "How's Siobhan?"

He didn't ask about how I knew of Siobhan because he didn't need to. He knew where I got my information. "She's good. Taking her to play pool this weekend." He crossed one hand over the other as he turned the car into the driveway. I wanted to ask more about Siobhan but that would have to wait until another time because we had finally arrived.

My eyes drank in the large Victorian home. It was not as grand as the Hale estate but it was large and beautiful in its own right. Red brick, trimmed with dark green, the eaves a prominent feature. My eyes lingered on the lovely rose bushes along the edge of the grass and I knew that those were Esme's pride. It was one of the few things that Edward had let slip by when he was estranged from his parents while I had shooed Riley away and was contently weeding one day in the garden. My eyes welled up with tears because I knew that he was here, in his childhood home, where he belonged.

_Getting soft, Rosalie. Chin up._

Exiting the car, I smoothed my skirt, lifted my chin and made my way toward the door.

**EPOV**

At precisely 5:42, I heard the gravel of the drive crunching under the weight of a vehicle and a second later I recognized the low purr of the Fleetwood's V8 engine. At the sound of the doorbell, I jolted up from the chair in the sitting room where I'd been chatting with my parents. I knew my actions showed to them both how happily anxious I was to see Rose. I had to admit to myself, the intensity of my urge to see her was pretty fucking overwhelming. I always looked forward to seeing Rosie, but this felt different for some reason, and I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

_Some damn detective you are, Cullen._

I repressed a snort at my completely accurate internal chastising as I opened the door. I couldn't help but smile at the stunning vision that was Rosie. She had on one of her signature flirty fucking dresses that made me hot under the collar. It was frilly and very feminine as it flowed around her in the soft breeze of the June evening. It was white with little purple flowers, and big ruffles at the neck that barely hung on her shoulders. One slight movement and the fabric could so easily slip off and reveal her slender shoulder and delectable collarbone. Sometimes I seriously wondered if she wore them simply to torment me, because, Lord knows it damn well did. Then I remembered this was Rosalie Hale, she'd look drop dead gorgeous in a fucking potato sack.

"Hello, Edward," she whispered huskily, her red lips smiling seductively as she stepped into the house. I shut the door and pulled her to me, eager to show her with a kiss how much I'd missed her that day. I had to force myself to remember where we were. Restraint wasn't something I was used to showing where Rose was concerned. This was going to take some getting used to.

"Hi, Doll," I returned warmly, taking her hand and kissing it instead.

"Sheesh, is that all I get?" she pouted impishly in mock affront.

"Later, sweetheart," I promised roguishly and squeezed her hand. Her pout dissipated and her smiling eyes flitted away from mine as she looked over the foyer with obvious curiosity. Behind me I heard the creaking of the floorboards as Mom and Dad came to greet her.

"Rosalie, it's so nice to see you again," my father came forward and took her hand. "I'm so pleased you're joining us for dinner," he said with sparkling sincerity.

"I'm so happy to be invited," she replied warmly and offered her hand. He took it and respectfully bowed over it for a moment and released it. Then my mother came forward.

"Give me a hug, my dear," she insisted sweetly, embracing Rose and not really giving her a choice. "Now, let me take your things, Rosalie. Our Kate is off for the evening." She released Rose and held out her hands while Rose removed her hat and gloves, and handed them and her purse to mom. "You all go into the dining room and I'll let Charlotte know we are ready," she suggested and disappeared down the hall. Dad led the way, and I placed my hand on the small of Rose's lower back and followed behind her.

Dinner was the best I could ever remember having in that house and it wasn't because of the food, although the stuffed Cornish hens were excellent. In the soft glow of the firelight, it was the warmth of family that fed me that meal. The conversation flowed in much the same vein as the night before, lots of catching up and getting reacquainted with one another. Mom told us stories about their trip to Italy a few years ago while Dad sat back and enjoyed her obvious delight in the memory. Over the course of the meal, I caught several small exchanges between them that showed me that they were just as much in love as they had ever been. I'd always admired their relationship. I'd even go so far as to say I admired their marriage.

I looked at Rosalie, her golden waves glistening like a wheat field in the sunrise. She was laughing heartily at whatever Mom was saying, I'd lost track, caught up in my own thoughts. Her rich throaty laugh was the sweetest sound in the world to me. Well, second sweetest after hearing her moan my name in bed. I watched her, laughing so hard tears were glistening in her eyes, a demure hand went to her chest, flattened over her heart as she tried to catch her breath. She was exquisite, and she caught me staring at her. Instead of teasing me about it, she just fucking winked at me and I smirked back.

After our dessert coffee had grown cold, Mom offered to take Rose on a tour of the house. I was grateful for the suggestion; it would give me a chance to talk to Dad about the things I had found. He and I had much to discuss.

**RPOV**

"Rosalie, would you like the grand tour of the Cullen estate? I could show you all the prime locations where Edward used to give me heart attacks on a daily basis." Esme smiled warmly at me as my latest giggle fit died down. My heart leapt at the offer; I'd been so interested in nosing around and seeing where Edward grew up. A personal tour from him would have been interesting to get his perspective on the house but I knew that Esme would hold her own. Plus, she'd give me some insight on what Edward was like growing up and how he became the man I knew today.

My eyes found his once more and I silently questioned if he was okay with me disappearing for awhile with his mom. He winked and gave a slight nod before turning his attention to his mom. "Hey now, Mom. I had to keep you on your toes. Otherwise you would have been bored and where's the fun in that?" She moved behind where he sat and pressing a gentle kiss on the top of his head. He glanced at me again and I knew from his expression that he'd take the opportunity while Esme and I left to tour the house to speak with Carlisle about what he had found. He and I would have the car ride home to catch each other up on both the case and what I had found out from Marcus in regard to Jasper's case.

"I'd love a tour, Esme," I said as I stood up from the table. She smiled broadly at me before linking her arm with mine.

"Shall we?"

I giggled once more. _Maybe I had a little more wine with dinner than I thought. _ Come to think of it, while I sipped on it throughout the meal, the glass always seemed to remain full. I'm sure I had Edward to thank for that.

"We shall!" I answered, brightly. I heard Carlisle laugh lowly and say something about the two of us being trouble together. We walked arm in arm in the foyer. The dark wood paneling was warm and cozy and Esme started telling me about the house, how she decided on decorating, and how long the house had been in the family. The grandfather clock in the hall chimed, reminding us that it was precisely eight o'clock.

"Did Edward ever tell you about the time he touched Carlisle's antiseptic?"  
_  
"Antiseptic?"_ I asked, tilting my head to the side. "No, I'm pretty sure he never mentioned that."

"Well, Edward always liked following his father around when it came to patients. We didn't see many here but occasionally Carlisle would have someone come to the house if there was no other option and Edward would be his 'assistant.' He had a patient come for a routine exam and afterward, he cleaned his kit with antiseptic."

I leaned against the stair rail, absorbing her story and wondering where the story was headed.

"Edward was probably around eight or nine--"

She was cut off by Edward's voice drifting in from the other room, "Ma! I was six."

Esme rolled her eyes at his interruption. She raised her voice and called back, "Hush you and stop eavesdropping. It's rude!" We heard the low murmuring of their voices resume in the adjacent room. "Okay, fine. He was _six._" Her face showed that she clearly thought otherwise but was indulging him. "He wandered in the office after Carlisle had finished cleaning his instruments. His father was in the middle of paperwork and Edward kept asking him questions and pestering him, as he always did. He was playing with the bottle of antiseptic and the cap opened and he got some on his hand." She sat down on third step and patted it so that I joined her. Once I had settled on the step, she continued with her story.

"So, he gets the antiseptic on his hands and then asks Carlisle the stuff in the bottle was. Carlisle, annoyed that Edward kept asking questions, just gave him the brush off. Told him," she put her chin down into her chest and did her Carlisle imitation, "'Don't touch the bottle, buddy. It'll kill ya.'" She slipped back into her own voice once more. "Carlisle always has had a bit of a sarcastic side..."

"Ah, so _that's_ where Edward gets it from."

She rolled her eyes and glanced toward the room where the two men sat together. "Well, Edward took him at his word as little boys often do of their fathers. I found him here," she patted on step with her hand, "sitting on this very step, looking sad and staring at the clock. I wasn't exactly sure what he was doing so I continued about reading my book. A while later, he was _still _here, _still _staring at the clock."

I tried to picture little Edward, sitting in the foyer of his house, on the same step that Esme and I were perched presently.

"So I sat down next to him and took his face in my hands and asked him what exactly he was doing sitting and watching the clock."

Mystified, I inquired, "What _was _he doing?"

"Well, he told me in his small but serious voice that he was 'waiting to die.'"

My heart squeezed inside my chest, sad for six year old Edward. "Awww, how sad!"

"It was heartbreaking, Rosalie! Then he explained the whole story and what exactly transpired to make him think that he'd be dying right then and there. Now granted, Carlisle didn't know he had gotten any on him but let me say this: _Carlisle_ was almost the one to die that day when I confronted him," she stated, ruefully. She smiled with fondness at the memory. It was clear that despite her anger toward Carlisle during the event, she found Edward's ability to take him at his word to be most endearing.

She stood from the step, her dress flowing once more around her legs. Reaching out her hand, she asked, "Are you ready to see the upstairs?" I nodded and she pulled me to my feet.

As we walked up the steps, she pointed out the portraits of Edward and their family that lined the walls. She showed me the office and then she showed me the room that Edward once called his. It was no longer decorated as it was when Edward had been there but she walked to the dresser and pulled the drawer open to reveal a large scrapbook. Lifting it gently out of the drawer, she placed it at the bottom of the bed.

"This is the most recent one I've made. I've been clipping the articles that Edward's in since he started in the business..." The words unspoken were _since he left home._ Page after page showed the dedication of a mother to her son and I was reminded of the clippings I kept of Jasper's case.

Her finger traced the printed page, picking up the black ink. "I've missed him, Rosalie." Her eyes met mine and they filled with tears as she spoke. "You, of all people, may understand the feelings I felt. The pain. The longing. The knowledge that he was so close yet untouchable... for whatever reason." She tacked on at the end, equaling our feelings. Her hand rested on mine and she squeezed gently. A few tears fell, racing each other down her cheeks and I stood silently by her side, raising my hand to rest gently on her shoulder.

I wasn't one who knew how to comfort well, but I couldn't help but feel a camaraderie with Esme. She was correct in her statement, we were more alike than we were different. I witnessed her joy and relief in her reunion with Edward. The choices that they had made, for whatever reasons, separated them for ten years. Now that I knew there was a chance for Jasper's release, that he might actually be able to rejoin me and our life at home, I needed to assess whether I truly wanted him there, knowing what he had done; if I'd be able to separate the act of taking our father's life from my love for him.

**EPOV  
**  
We watched them disappear from our view as Mom began the 'tour'. I looked back at Dad and I'm sure we wore matching expressions of indulgent adoration. We shared a mutual chuckle and Dad stood up, walking over to the bar.

"Would you like a drink, Edward?" he asked and poured himself a scotch.

"Bourbon, if ya got it," I replied gratefully. I was alone with Dad, there was no other person to be the buffer to stifle the underlying tension still between us. I hoped a drink might take the fucking edge off.

"You're mother is just over the moon about you and Rosalie," he said as he brought my bourbon over to me and sat back down in his chair.

_No kidding._

"Yeah," I smiled softly. "Mom's a real cheerleader." He chuckled and took a drink of his scotch. I pulled a Lucky from my pack and lit up, hoping I was successfully hiding my own elation over my relationship with Rose.

"So, did you find anything today?" he asked, setting his glass down on the end table beside him. For some reason, it felt off for me to dive into discussing the case with him and not try to patch things up more between us. It still felt too new, too raw. Too delicate.

"Dad, I want you to know I've missed being a part of this house." Walking through that front door that morning and spending the day with Mom had been great, but an overwhelming reminder of how much I'd missed over the last decade.

"We've missed you, too, Edward," he replied genuinely and I knew he meant it. It still wasn't right, wasn't sufficient. My guilt over my actions forced me to continue.

"I'll never be able to rectify what happened," I offered honestly.

"Edward, stop tearing yourself down. You forget so easily that you weren't the only one who made mistakes. I'm guilty too, but it's in the unalterable past. Let's not talk about it anymore, it's counterproductive in my opinion. We are together now, and there's a task at hand, " he said earnestly, trying to quell my guilt. His penetrating gaze held mine, and I recognized the look of seriousness in his eyes from my youth. It was telling me he had forgiven me, and he wanted me to forgive myself. He was telling me that focusing on the past would only hold up the future. Time was the only remedy.

I took a drag off my Lucky and pulled the diary and handkerchief from my pocket. "I found these in the room upstairs," I said, handing him the items.

His brow wrinkled in confusion. "Where? We went over every inch of that room."

I smiled. "I know where to look for its secrets," I reminded him and put out my cigarette. His eyebrow quirked. "What do you think?" I asked, prompting him to open the diary and thumb through the pages slowly.

"It's Marie's handwriting. Have you read it?" he replied.

"Not yet, but you're certain that is her penmanship?" I questioned again. I had flipped through the book looking for a name, something that would tell me who it belonged to for certain. I'd found nothing , so I couldn't be _positive_ it belonged to her.

"Without a doubt, this was penned by her, Edward," he confirmed. _Perfect. _Now I could take it seriously, knowing I'd find _something _fucking relevant in it. I just had to find a time to sit down and read it like a housewife with a nickel romance novel. I also had another lead to check out, the address. That would be the best place to begin nosing around.

"I need that address where they want you to meet them."

"Certainly," he nodded and went to the desk, pulling open the top drawer. After extracting a small slip of paper, he walked back to the chair, sat down and handed it to me. The street name scrawled out in his physicians scribble was one I didn't recognize. I was lucky I was able to read Dad's chicken scratch at all, but years of forging his name on my report cards had taught me the intricacies of his hand. It had even led me to study handwriting as a hobby, a hobby that turned out to be useful on the job every now and then. I pursed my lips in thought as I studied the address, then slipped the scrap of paper between the pages of her diary.

**RPOV**

Descending the porch steps, Edward guided me toward the car, his hand on my back. Looking over my shoulder, I waved once more at Esme and Carlisle, who stood on the porch, looking almost ethereal as they were back-lit by the lamp behind them. Their voices rang out in unison as they both called after us, "Be safe." They kept their guard, watching over Edward and I until we were in the car. I expected them to turn and head inside the door but they held one another, arm in arm, waving until the house was no longer visible. I looked over to see Edward staring toward the direction of the house as if he could still somehow see them.

My hand reached to grasp his, our fingers marrying together, and I leaned my head on his shoulder, my hair falling over his jacket. He turned his face into the crown of my head and pressed a gentle kiss there.

"Mom treat you okay?" he questioned, his lips still resting on my head.

"Need you even ask? Your mom is an angel," I said softly, playing with his hand and tracing his fingers with my own.

I felt his lips pull upward into a smile. "That's funny, I always call her a saint when referring to her. An angel works just as well." He moved one arm so that it wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me in to lean against his body.

At the same time we both started to speak.

"How did the call with--"

"I have to tell you about what Jasper's--"

Catching each others eyes in the dark, we both smiled softly. "Tell me," he implored, settling back so he could hear what I had to tell him about the talk I had with Marcus earlier in the day. After telling him everything that we discussed, he sat quietly beside me as I once more turned everything around in my mind. I didn't want to make a rash decision. I knew that if I were to have Jasper freed, it would have to be something I'd be willing to do because he was my brother and I loved him and forgave him.

"Dollface, you're awfully quiet."

"Just thinking about the options. I miss Jasper more than words can say. What he did was reprehensible but would I rather have both of them out of my life forever? Or forgive him and move past this with him? It's a lot to think about."

"This is your decision, Rosalie. But if there's anything that I can do to help you find your answers, you let me know."

Settling back into his arms once more, I nodded, agreeing to his offer. Our faces caught the city lights surrounding us as the Fleetwood returned us home.

* * *

All our undying beta love to KrisBCullen. She's the bee's knees and makes this story so much more that it would be without her.

TheHeartOfLife will own us forever with her angsty goodness and dessert pockets. Xoxoxo's

We tried something different with the POV's this chapter. Please, tell us what you thought of the back and forth and if you'd like to see it again in the future… or not. :) XOXOXO


	9. Love Me or Leave Me

Love Me Or Leave Me

**EPOV **

The next morning, Rose and I shared a quiet breakfast together. Before I left we shared a slow, lingering goodbye against the frame of the front door. I didn't want to leave. It seemed as if it was getting harder to say goodbye to her, harder to be apart from her. With a sigh and a promise to call her later, I got in the Fleetwood and Emmett drove me to my place. After a shower and a change of clothes, I made myself some coffee and turned on the radio. As "Love Me or Leave Me" filled the apartment, I sat down at my desk to start studying the only real clue I had, the diary. It was a small book, very dainty and ladylike, and it had to have been a relatively pricey little journal when purchased. The red leather bound edges were worn at the corners from what must have been the result of many entries, written in haste or anger, and maybe, hopefully, a little love. I snorted at myself.

_You're turning into a sap, Cullen_.

I nodded my head at the truth of my own internal chastising and took out a notebook from the top drawer. With my pen in hand, I was ready to jot down anything noteworthy I found. Reaching for my smokes, I lit one and leaned back in my chair. I opened the cover, and wondered what secrets this delicate little red book would reveal.

_  
I met the most amazing man in the park the other day. I'd been sitting by the lake, daydreaming about everything and nothing when I was rudely interrupted by a dog bounding up to me and licking my face. Laughing, I threw my arms around her neck, she was so sweet. I looked around in search for the owner when the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on came running toward me. Apologizing left and right, he grabbed the dog and slipped the leash around her neck. I was expecting him to lead the dog away and for our encounter to end but instead he sat next to me and asked my name. Shyly, I told him it was Maria. After he introduced himself, we sat and talked for what seemed like minutes but was really hours. I thought he might not want to sit on the ground, considering that his suit looked expensive but he didn't seem to mind at all. The sun began to set low in the sky and he said that he had to get home for supper._

_We stood and I started walking toward the statue, on my way home. He headed with Leah (the dog) in the other direction._

_I was sad that I wouldn't see him again._

_I was quite a distance away when I turned to look back. I figured that he'd be long gone. Instead he was standing there, Leah at his side, looking at me. When he saw me turn, they ran toward me and when he reached me he asked if I would meet him again by the lake in a week's time._

_I'm meeting him again tomorrow._

_I wonder if he's been thinking about me as much as I've been thinking about him._

The first thing that struck me as peculiar, was there was no date on the entry, not even a day of the week. I groaned in annoyed frustration, that would make my job much fucking harder. Secondly, I thought Dad said her name was Marie, not _Maria_. I certainly didn't like knowing that she had lied to my parents about her name. I grimaced as I jotted down both names and put a question mark beside them, quickly deciding to call Dad later and clarify. Maybe I'd heard him wrong, though that seemed unlikely. And where was the mysterious stranger's name? It didn't make sense that she would include the dog's name, but not _his_? I jotted down the name of the dog, Leah and turned the page to begin the next entry. I hoped it would supply me with a name for her "friend."

***  
_  
I was looking through the Chicago Tribune yesterday while it was slow at work and nearly fainted when I came across a picture of him._

_In the society pages._

_With his wife._

_He's _married.  
_  
And it's not to me._

_I don't even know what to say. I've cried more tears than I ever thought possible and I'm completely numb. Every time my mind even starts thinking about him, the tears start falling again. HOW COULD HE DO THIS? How..._

_I'm supposed to meet him this evening by the lake. And I will. To tell him that I never want to see him again._

Maria was an unwitting mistress, eh? I grew even more suspicious of the story she told Mom and Dad. Years on the job had taught me sex and love were not mutually exclusive. Crimes of passion were more common than burglary. The society pages might be helpful, I'd be able to go to the library and check the Tribune archives. I grumbled again when I remembered I didn't have a date to work with. I decided to keep going, I had to dig deeper.

_***_

_I haven't seen him in four months. Haven't written about him in four months. Haven't stopped thinking about him in four months, despite the fact that he is married._

_Last night, I went to the spot by the lake where we used to meet. I sat on the browning grass and thought about the conversations we had. The times we'd spent together. I sat there and twirled a piece of dead grass in my hand, my head lowered and staring at my lap. Thinking about what a fool I'd been._

_A wet nose pushed into my hands and I looked up to see Leah and him standing in front of me._

_He told me he was sorry. Told me that he was born into a world and a life that didn't understand him the way that I did. He told me that he had been betrothed to the woman he was married to for what seemed like forever and how she was horrible and controlling and how he never felt free when he was with her. Not like he felt when he was with me._

_I didn't know what to say, because I didn't want him to leave, but I wasn't really supposed to want him to stay. He sat down on the grass next to me and he leaned back on his elbows. In silence, we watched as the park cleared of children and their moms, heading home for supper. He told me he wanted to have children one day, a son to pass along his railroad business and fortune to but he didn't think that it would happen. I asked him why and he told me it was because his wife was having trouble. I asked him what kind of trouble but he didn't really want to talk about that. So instead, I told him about my family and how little money we had and how we struggled with my father off at war. I told him how I felt like a burden to my mother. I told him that even though he was married, I couldn't stop thinking about him and I looked in the paper every day for a glimpse of him._

_He told me he'd come here every day on his walk with Leah looking for me._

_Then he looked around to see if anyone was watching us. I started to ask what he was doing when he took me by surprise and leaned over and kissed me; I felt like I was falling. My head hit the earth below me and he was there, holding me and whispering things and it was perfect._

_And for awhile, I was able to forget that he had a wife. And that it wasn't me. _

On the note pad, I made a column titled "coward" and wrote down what I now knew of _him._ He was important enough to be mentioned in the Tribune's society pages. He was involved in the rail industry, and he was married to a controlling wife who, it sounds like, wasn't able to conceive. He was miserable with his life, so he decided playing with the emotions of a young naive girl might make him feel better. _Class act_. I could feel my blood pressure going up little by little. I was beginning to doubt Mari_a_'s story about being raped, and I had a bad feeling about where this was going.

***

_We made love!_

_He came to the dry cleaner's on Tuesday, which was something I wasn't expecting because we very rarely saw each other besides at the lake. Sometimes we'd randomly meet at places and I'd have to pretend that I didn't know him. But on Tuesday, he just walked right into the cleaner's and it was pretty empty because I was just getting ready to close the shop. He looked upset and I asked what was wrong and he said that he didn't want to talk about what was wrong, only about what was right. He asked if I could close the shop and I did, locking the front door before leading him into the back room. I turned to put some of the chemicals away and when I turned back he was right there and I could feel him and his breath and his hands. I wanted him closer and closer._

_There's a small cot in the back room and I laid down on it, trying to look like one of those pin-up girls I'd seen in the magazines. He looked at me and asked me if I knew what I was doing and I laughed because I didn't. And he said that I looked prettier than the flowers that bloom in spring. I'm pretty sure I blushed at his compliments but then we were kissing and his hands were between my knees so I forgot about being embarrassed and just concentrated on being with him._

_I'm so lucky._

My blood pressure? It went through the fucking roof then and there. She'd been so thoroughly duped by that manipulative bastard. No man would treat someone he claimed to love that way, on a _cot_ in the back room of a dry cleaners. That wasn't making love. He'd fucked her, plain and simple. It was so cheap and tawdry, so disrespectful. Yet through her words, it was clear to see that she was glowing with blind love and innocent youth. It made me want to retch. Thank God there was a knock at my door to distract me. I snuffed out the cigarette that had almost burned out on it's own and went to the door. A quick glance through the peephole told me it was Rose. My mood did a complete turn around as I opened the door. I smiled, pleasantly surprised to see her and what looked like lunch from Hwang's in her arms.

"I thought you might be...hungry," she said with pouty, red lips and a quirked brow. My arm snaked out into the hallway and pulled her into the apartment, and up against me. I pushed the door shut over her head with one hand.

"You thought right," I whispered into her ear. The scent of her perfume was just as mouthwatering as the smell of the sesame chicken she'd brought with her, and I found myself suddenly wondering if she'd be dessert.

She wiggled her way out of my grasp and went toward the kitchen. I went back to my desk and sat down so I'd have a good view of her as she moved about the tiny kitchenette and fixed my plate. She was wearing a lavender colored dress today, and her hair was pulled up on the sides, but hung down her back in tumble of flaxen sunshine. Her hips swayed as she moved and the drape of her dress accentuated the sloping curve from her waist over her rear. I enjoyed the view like a cat watches a saucer of milk, and when she turned around with my plate and a bottle of Coke in her hands it was obvious where I'd been staring. She smiled and I thought for a moment she might have been stifling a giggle. She sat the plate and Coke down on the desk and caressed my cheek before she started to turn and walk away. I caught her wrist and pulled her onto my lap.

"How did I survive before you, baby? You bring me lunch and make sure there's coffee in the joint. I've never had it so good." It was true and I wanted her to know how much I appreciated her taking care of me.

"I'm sure you survived just fine," she retorted. "The only difference is, now you have clean shirts," she teased with a playful shrug.

I pursed my lips and pushed her up and off of my lap. "Go fix your plate before it gets cold, doll," I said and slapped her square on the ass. Smart alec.

She got her plate and pulled up a chair next to me. We chatted about how things were going at La Bella, but she didn't mention Jasper. I wondered if she'd come any closer to a decision, but decided against asking her about it. Sometimes Rose needed space and time to sort things out. She knew I'd be here when she needed to talk. She asked me about the diary and I gave her a rundown of everything I'd learned so far.

"I still have to finish reading it," I explained. "I'm hoping I'll find a name or a date further in."

"Don't worry, Edward. You'll figure it out. You always do," she said with complete confidence. I grinned down at my shoes. There really was nothing like the love of a good woman to boost you up. Nothing like a woman who believes in you, no matter what. She picked up our plates and I stood up quickly, trying to stop her.

"Let me take them, Rose. You've done enough for me for one day," I urged. She only laughed at me.

"Sit down, you. It's fine. You get back to work, I'll just clean this up and read my book on the bed while you work."

"Sounds boring," I countered.

"It won't be," she replied. I started to speak again, but she silenced me with a finger on my lips.

"Finish the diary, because later, I'd like to have your undivided attention."

My eyes went wide.

_That's my demanding little vixen._

I sat back down and picked up the diary, dead serious and much more motivated to finish it and take my notes. I skimmed over the last entry and jotted down the only clue it had afforded, she worked at a dry cleaners. The next entry held nothing notable, so I started flipping through the pages. The next several pages chronicled secret rendezvous after secret rendezvous. They always went somewhere they wouldn't be seen, secluded parks and dive bars and restaurants. Nothing really of particular consequence, but the next entry tugged on my un-tuggable heartstrings.

_***_

_I know I haven't written in here in a few months._

_I turned 19 and my life fell apart. My father is dead. My mom got notice a month ago, right after my birthday. She hasn't stopped crying. I wish I knew what to do and what to tell her. But I'm dealing with something of my own. I wasn't sure who to tell..._

_I think I'm pregnant._

I threw my head back in exasperation. My suspicions were correct. She hadn't been raped. I was relieved she hadn't suffered the trauma of a sexual assault, but sometimes I fucking hated being right. I scribbled down her age, nineteen, and the death of her father, and, of course, the pregnancy.

_Knew that was coming, Cullen. Just didn't come the way she'd said it did._

The coward had knocked her up. I reached for my smokes and lit one. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rose pull down the Murphy bed, a thick copy of _Gone With The Wind_ in her hand. She plopped herself down, laying on her stomach and kicked off her heels. I noted the sloping curve of her ass again, I couldn't help it. I shook my head and forced my eyes back to the diary and on to the next entry.

_***_

_There's a clinic that I'm going to check out. He keeps telling me that he'll send me to doctors but I think it's best if I cut off all ties from him. He's told me about his wife and she sounds like she would bring harm to me and possibly the baby if she ever found out. I can't have him taking money to give to me and I can't risk her finding out about us. It's too dangerous. For nearly two years I've heard about her and the things she's done and I know that she doesn't sound right in the head._

_I'll have to see what I can find out about this clinic. I'll probably have to make up a story but it's better than the alternative. I really don't have any other choices.  
_  
Well, it was obvious that she was afraid of the wife. At least that explained why she'd come up the elaborate lie she'd told my parents. I guess I couldn't blame the poor girl for doing what she thought she had to to protect herself and her child. I scribbled out _wife, reputation for being cruel, possible mental disorder_? My list of clues had grown over the course of the day. And when I looked over at Rosie, the list wasn't the only thing that grew.

She'd flipped over onto her back and had scooted high up on the bed with her legs in the air, her feet resting on the wall. The skirt of her dress was gathered up around the top of her thighs, putting her garter belt and stockings on full teasing display for me. My jaw clenched.

_What is she doing?_ _She knows I need to focus, dammit._

"Not very lady-like, doll," I scolded with a smirk. She looked away from her book and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Get back to work, you," she shot back and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes ma'am," I said earnestly, taking one last lingering look at her luscious gams sheathed in silk and forced my eyes back to the diary.

_What a change of events!_

_I'm living with Dr. Cullen and his wife. I met him at the clinic and told him a story about how a man took advantage of me after work one night. I'm not proud of this lie but I felt that it was necessary so that I could remain in hiding from _him.

_I decided to tell them my name was Marie. It's not far from Maria and that way I wouldn't get confused as I probably would have had I chosen something completely different. I feel awful lying to them, they are such kind and generous people. But I feel like I need to do this for the sake and safety of this baby._

_I've spoken about this with Dr. Cullen and he's found the baby a happy and safe home. We went to the couple's home the other day and everything is waiting for this baby's arrival. I know that they will be the perfect parents for him (in my mind, it's a boy) and be able to give him everything I'm not able to provide. I wish that I had the means to take care of him but I don't._

_Once he is born, I think I'll be going to live with some family in Indiana. They don't know about the pregnancy and I have hidden it from my mother, who was still a shell of herself. _  
_  
I still think about him. Still dream about him holding me in his arms and caressing my belly, our baby kicking at his hands. If only things were different. If only we'd been two different people, in a different time. We were meant to be together but fate and circumstance had other plans for the both of us. I'll remain forever his in my heart, even if we can no longer be together._

_I wonder if he's thinking about me. About us._

_Not bloody likely, _I thought to myself as I turned the page. It was blank. I flipped through the rest of the book. The remaining pages were all blank, that was that last entry and I already knew that part of the story from Dad. I shut the diary and looked at Rose. She was still laying there with her feet resting up on the wall like a Varga pin-up painting. I decided I was done working for the day and I wanted those legs wrapped around me. I stood and crawled onto the bed beside her. I took the book from her hands and tossed on the bed next to us. Her surprised eyes tried to read me but I didn't give her a chance to ask questions.

"You have my undivided attention now, baby doll," I murmured huskily before I kissed her senseless. I was ready for my dessert.

* * *

As always all our love to our beta, KrisBCullen. We owe her some Chinese takeout.

Edwardville is our favorite online hang out and we heart them.

Next week's post will be a little different, something deliciously devious (not MGF related). If you're over 18 and would like to find out what it will be, please put us on author alert. :)

The next chapter of My Girl Friday will post on April 9th.


	10. Moanin Low

**RPOV  
**  
I woke in the early morning hours, naked, and wrapped only in the sheet that adorned Edward's bed, instead of Edward himself. Sitting up, my hair glided over my shoulder and down my bare back. My eyes scanned the small apartment, unable to find him him the darkness. "Edward?" I called out, my voice thick with sleep, my mind not processing how exactly I could miss him in the tiny place. The door to the bathroom swung open and he stepped out, looking over at me, backlit by the moonlight that crept in through the lone window and stark naked.

Greedily, my eyes drank in the pleasant sight. His long lean body had filled out a bit after we'd met, thanks to my constantly stocking his kitchen and feeding him home-cooked meals at the Hale estate. He caught my unabashed staring and smirked in response. "Like what you see, Rosie?"

Rolling my eyes, I decided a taste of his own medicine was just what the doctor ordered. Innocently, I dropped the sheet from where it sat on my chest, letting the sheet fall around my waist. I put my hands on the bed, pushing my chest out and crossed my legs below the sheet, fluttering my lashes at him coyly. I didn't miss the way his eyes widened at my little show. "Always, _Eddie_."

I giggled to myself as he cursed under his breath. He looked torn but then headed toward the kitchenette area. None too carefully, he slung the refrigerator door open and started rummaging through the meager contents. From my vantage point I could see it was nearly time to go shopping again, or at the very least, have some groceries delivered. Curiously, I asked, "What are you doing over there?"

Grumbling about the cold, he pulled out some leftover Chinese food containers. Pushing the door shut with his foot, he grabbed a spare set of chopsticks and made his way back over to the bed. "Hungry?"

I folded my arms across my chest, playfully pouting at his choice of midnight snack. "But I thought that _I _was your dessert."

He rounded the bed to sit next to me, nuzzling his face into my hair. "You were, doll. And, for the record, I plan to make you my breakfast too. But in the meanwhile... we need sustenance to keep up our strength."

Nodding quickly, I scooted around him and stood, the sheet falling completely off the remainder of my body and to the floor.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, as I pressed a fast kiss on his lips. I sashayed over to the kitchenette area, pausing to look over my shoulder at him sitting on the bed. He was watching me with a hungry look that had nothing to do with the food carton resting on the bed. "You're wicked."

"You're not the only one who's hungry, Edward." I plucked my _own _pair of chopsticks out of the nearby drawer.

"Oh doll, I was going to share with you."

I snorted a noise that wasn't very lady-like and he chuckled at my response. "You know I don't share well. I'll compromise and at least share the container."

"Well, neither do I, being an only child and all. But for you, I make an exception." He watched as I made my way back toward the bed. This time I could fully see the hard stare and the drawn brow of the man sitting on the bed, watching me. His eyes drank my every movement and I was reminded of the way he watched me when we first met, when we'd gone to the Children's Gala and he'd undressed me with his eyes. Later, he used his hands to remove the red gown instead of just his eyes, bringing us together for the first time. So much had changed within the past eight months but he remained the same. True and steadfast, loyal and constant. I smiled softly at the thought.

"Hey, you okay, Rosie? Looked like I lost you there for a second," he questioned. I climbed back onto the bed next to him, leaning toward him to peer into the carton and rooting around to find the perfect piece of cold chicken.

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

He quirked an eyebrow, silently asking what was on my mind.

"You. Us. This. Everything," I explained, moving my free hand between the two of us. I popped another piece of chicken into my mouth and chewed slowly before answering. "I'm very lucky to have you. And I'm so happy that you and your parents have reconciled." He leaned his back against the wall, pulling my naked body flush against his. Leaving his chopsticks resting in the carton, his hand wound through my hair and I continued picking out pieces of chicken and alternating between his mouth and my own. He sensed there was more to what I'd been thinking about but he knew that I had to talk things through on my own terms. Physically, he showed me that he was in tune with my every word while saying nothing. His hand lightly scratched my scalp while still playing with my hair.

"After speaking with your mom at their house the other day and turning things around in my head, I think that I'm at the point where I'm ready to talk to Marcus about the trial and trying to get Jasper released." I placed the chopsticks I'd been using into the carton. Edward leaned down, placing the container onto the floor before returning to snuggle me to his chest once more. I picked up his hand and held it in my own, tracing circles lightly across his knuckles. "But I would never want to put you in a bad position. I know that the staff would never say anything to the contrary but you... you're..."

"I'm _what_, doll?" he asked gruffly.

"You're _you. _I'd never want to put you in a compromising position. Ever. And by asking you to lie, I'd be doing just that." My eyes were still watching our hands clasped together. He pulled his hand away from mine and walked his fingers up my left breast, pausing to play there for a moment, before continuing to bring them up my chin and tilting my head so he could clearly see my face.

His eyes sparkled in the moonlight and I brought a hand up to his hair, gently playing with one of the longer pieces that had fallen over his forehead.

"I'd do it for you. Only you. Besides, I don't need to lie, dollface. I'm a private detective, not a cop. The cops are supposed to gather the evidence, take the confessions, protect and serve. I'm in the grey and that works to my advantage."

I murmured about his desperate need of a haircut before letting out a breathy sigh at his answer. "I've just been thinking about what is best for me and I think that having Jasper in my life is better than not having him at all."

He nodded his head at my assessment. "Your happiness is first and foremost." His fingers tickled my arm as he lazily brushed them up and down the length. "Do it. If that's what you think is right for you, I'm right there with you."

My heart swelled in my chest and I was once again reminded of how lucky I was to have found him. The man with the hard exterior but the heart of gold. At that thought, I swung my leg over his lap, sitting on him so that I could face him.

Giving me a questioning look, he leaned forward and caught my lips in a gentle kiss. "Not that I'm complaining but... what's this about?" His hands found their way to my breasts and he palmed them before bringing his lips and tongue to each. "Fucking perfect," he breathed out as I watched his lavishing display of affection.

"I know you mentioned something about breakfast but could you be persuaded..." my question trailed off as he flipped me over onto the thin mattress and I squealed in delight as he kissed me from head to toe. I knew then that the answer was an astounding _yes._

_***  
_The morning quickly approached and I slept in a bit longer than normal after our late night. When we woke, the sun was streaming through the window, paying little attention to the thin blind that was pulled shut.

Leaving Edward in the bed, I stood and picked up his discarded shirt from the night before. I needed to be in the office that afternoon but I was afforded the luxury of taking it easy for the morning.. For the most part, things ran like clockwork at La Bella. Pulling on his shirt, I buttoned it as I made my way to the kitchen to start the coffee brewing in the percolator.

While the coffee was brewing, I decided to call Marcus' office and let him know of my decision. Running my hand along the satin inside liner of my purse, I found the small folded up slip of paper with the few notes I had written on it. Sitting at Edward's desk, I drummed a tuneless song onto the wooden surface, waiting for the call to connect after speaking with his secretary.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward sit up in the bed, running his hands through his hair before sliding them down to his face and scrubbing it a few times repeatedly. It was his way of waking each morning. I knew the big stretch, hands fisted toward the sky, was coming next, along with a massive yawn. The phone still on my ear, I turned in the chair as I watched, transfixed. He stretched his arms and the sheet that covered his torso slid lower, revealing the well formed V of his lower abdomen.

"--Rosalie? Miss Hale? I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Marcus' voice sounded distant and I realized that the phone had fallen a few inches away from my ear.

"Yes, Marcus. I'm here."

He cut straight to the chase, as was always his way. Time was money for him. I was happy that my life didn't operate the same way; it seemed like a misery. "What do you say, kid? Made a decision about which way we are going to take things?"

Edward had gotten up and put his boxer shorts on. Standing in the kitchenette, he pulled two mugs from the cupboard. Our eyes met and he smiled crookedly, giving me the encouragement I needed. I felt the corners of my lips tug upward, a satisfactory grin appearing at the knowledge that I was going to go through with springing Jasper and regaining my brother. "Okay, Marcus. What do we need to do to make this happen?"

He guffawed and I could picture him sitting up in his chair, gleam in his eye. "I was hoping you might say that. How about sooner rather than later?"

**EPOV**

There's only one sound better than Rose's peals of laughter as I playfully ravished her, and that was the sound of her moaning my name in the darkness as she came unraveled. I held her as she fell asleep against me afterward, stroking her hair gently and watching the worry lines fade from her forehead with contentment. She'd been worrying so much about Jasper and what to do about his trial, and I was always happy to help her take her mind off of things. The call she'd gotten from Jasper's lawyer had given her hope, but murder is a hard thing to forgive. Especially in Rose's case. How do you forgive your brother for killing your father? I doubted I'd be able to, and the fact that Rose was could made her that much more amazing.

She needed my help to make this work. It was hard to stretch the truth about what happened that day Jasper confessed to his father's murder, but I'd do it for her. If anyone even asked me, I figured I'd just play up on the dirty cop angle. I'd always pegged Aro as a shady cad with sticky fingers. As it turned out, I was right. In any other situation I wouldn't consider lying, but this time my sense of duty lost the battle to my heart. I really believed Jasper wasn't a threat to anyone else; he just never struck me as that guy. I was confident that he'd be left alone by his old "friends" and that he knew better than to get himself into hot water like that again. Rose had paid off his debts and he had a chance to start over. She wanted to help him do that, and really, it made no difference what I thought. I'd be beside her no matter what, ready to step in and lend her a hand if she needed one. We were partners, and she was my baby doll. I pulled her to me a little closer and listened to the restful sound of her soft steady breaths. It wasn't long before they lulled me to sleep.

It was the fucking glorious smell of coffee that woke me up. Rose was sitting at my desk in one of _my _shirts, using the telephone and watching me as I went through my usual wake up grunts and groans. I got up, threw on a pair of boxers and stumbled sleepily toward the coffee. Rose chatted with someone I gathered was Jasper's lawyer and was as animated as I'd seen her in quite a while. It was obvious this was hard on her, and by the looks of it, she'd made the right decision. There was no way I could ever deny her that. She lingered for a while after her call was finished and asked what my plan was for the day as we got dressed. I gave her a brief rundown before she called her house for Emmett to come pick her up. Not long after, I gave her a slow devouring kiss against the door and a slap on the ass as she sauntered out into the hallway. Leaning against the door frame, I watched her walk away. She must have felt my eyes on her because she glanced over her shoulder, peering coyly at me.

"Dinner tonight?"

"And dessert, doll," I promised earnestly. A satisfied smirk crossed her lips as she turned and continued down the hallway. I continued to watch until she was out of sight.

Turning back inside with a chuckle, I put my shoes on and called a cab. I wanted to check out this address first. My buddy, Garrett, who worked at the County Clerks office owed me some favors. Chances were, he could tell me who owned the building and, with little luck, it might set me on the right track. The cab arrived, and I secured my gun in my holster, making sure I had extra bullets. I went downstairs and got in the cab, telling the driver to take me to the address. Not long after, we pulled into an industrial area near the rail yard.

I asked him to drop me off down the street so that I could case the joint on foot and hopefully, go unnoticed. The street was busy; a steady stream of cars passed and several pedestrians bustled along the sidewalk. A dingy diner was across the street, and there was a newspaper stand on the corner nearest to me. I stopped to buy a copy of that day's Tribune, the good accessory for those times on the job when I had to stand around and blend in. Tucking the paper under my arm, I stepped a few paces away from the newsstand and lit a Lucky. Examining the addresses on the buildings surrounding me, I knew the one I wanted had to be down the street to my right.

I puffed on my smoke as I set a leisurely pace in that direction. The buildings were all similarly constructed of plain utilitarian beige bricks and small rectangular windows with closed blinds. As I drew closer, I kept my eyes peeled for a more secluded spot to watch from. The building a few doors down had a side entrance with a large overhang and stoop. I pulled the brim of my Fedora down over my eyes and walked toward the stoop, even though it offered me less cover than I'd prefer. Sometimes you just have to make due with what you've got. I went up a few steps and lowered myself to the stoop. Unfolding my paper, I pretended to read it as I kept an eye on the prize; the front entrance down the street.

At first, I wasn't sure I had the right place since there weren't any numbers on the building, really no indication of what sort of business was conducted inside. That was pretty fucking suspicious in and of itself. I hoped to see some foot traffic going in or coming out. It was oddly quiet and inactive for two-thirty on a Wednesday afternoon. I puffed on my Lucky, and began to seriously wonder if the building was vacant. I sat there for a while longer, reading the sports section and smoking a few more cigarettes before I decided I'd better shove off before someone got wise to me. I set off toward the diner, back the way I'd come. I glanced at my watch, 3:48; I had some time to kill. I decided a slice of pie and some coffee would help me kill an hour until the work day ended. Then I'd go back and case the joint up close.

At 5:23, I made my way back. I watched the place for a few minutes for any stragglers that were leaving the office late. I waited for fifteen minutes and no one came or went. I made my move and walked briskly to the side of the building. Peering into the windows was pointless, they been covered on the inside with newspaper, _also very fucking suspicious_. I continued down the side, my hand brushing lazily along the ugly grey bricks. I turned the corner around the backside of the building, and saw nothing. A whole lot of fucking nothing. Coming out here was turning out to be a waste of my time. I sighed and fleetingly wondered how much gumshoe work this case was going to take to crack. Maybe I'd get lucky and catch a break with Garrett's help, or the library, sorting through hundreds of Tribune wedding announcements.

_Not fucking likely, Cullen._

I was startled out of my internal bitching by the screeching halt of car brakes. I jumped into the shadow on the building, pressing myself into the wall as much as I could and quietly pulled my gun from it's holster. Two car doors slammed successively with a force that indicated either hurry or stress. Feet shuffled up the five steps to the side entrance I'd walked by. Then, relative silence. It was safe to assume they went in, and that they had a key. I shimmied along the wall cautiously, this was never a good spot to be in. Yet, I had to see if I could _see _anything.

Carefully, I approached the corner of the building and peeked around it. The car that had screeched to a halt was a gorgeous silver Mercedes 540 but that wasn't what really interested me. I put my gun away and took out my note pad and pencil, quickly jotting down the license plate number. I'd have to call Garrett back, forget who owned the building, I wanted to know who owned that car.

I jumped as I felt a tap on my shoulder, behind me.

"Looking for somethin', Mister?"

I put the pad and pencil back in my pocket before turning around to face him. "Nope, just admiring the car," I said, cheerfully casual. "Is it yours?" I asked. I kept my expression open and friendly, trying not to let on how I took in all the details of this person in front of me. The guy was huge, bigger than Emmett, his dark eyes were tight and the seams of his pinstripe suit looked they were about to bust apart. I turned back toward the car and walked toward it.

"It's a '39 right?" I asked again trying to quell the suspicion I could feel rolling off of him.

"Yeah, that's right," he said cautiously. "Haven't I seen your mug before? In the papers..." he squinted his eyes in examination of my face. "Yeah, you're that private _dick_, Edward Cullen."

_Fuck._

I turned to face him. Never have your back to the bad guy. He looked me up and down, and I'd seen that look several times before. He was appraising how much of a fight I'd put up. I heard a door open, and looked past him and saw another lackey coming down the steps of the side entrance and walk toward us.

"Looky what I found, Demetri," the big guy said. "It's Edward Cullen."

"Well whaddya know, Edward Cullen. Felix, isn't this the joker boss told us to keep a look out for?"

_You're really fucked, Cullen._

I started backing up as they came toward me. I was in serious fucking trouble and too close to the car. After a few steps, my back was up against the fender. I could have run, but I wasn't a pussy, and I had to try to find out why they'd been told to watch for me.

"You lookin' for me, boys? I'm touched," I said putting my hands up slightly, I sure as hell didn't want a scuffle. Felix stopped right in front of me and his massive bulk blocked out the sun. His hands were the size of a gorilla's and just as hairy as his patted me down. He quickly felt the gun in it's holster under my suit jacket and pulled it out, tossing it to Demetri.

"Nice .32 Special," Demetri admired as his fingers tickled the short blue steel barrel of my Colt. Seeing your gun in the hands of the enemy was always a slap in the fucking face, proof that you'd fucked up and gotten yourself in trouble. The situation was fast approaching life threatening. I quickly reasoned that they were obviously associated with the person I was looking for, and that realistically, that person needed me to achieve his goal, getting the baby.

"What was it the boss told us if we found him?" Demerti asked Felix with a sarcastic smirk that told me he knew damn well, and that I wasn't going to enjoy it. Felix stood over me, eagerly watching me like a pit bull entering a dog fighting ring.

"He said to tell him to lay off the case, and to make sure he sees stars," he replied coldly.

"Fellas, there's no need to get fresh," I said as one of Felix's meat hooks pawed my lapel, crinkling it in his pulverizing grip. His other fist drew back and I squinted my eyes shut, knowing full well what was coming. Sure enough, it came with shocking force, the pain exploding in a concentrated epicenter on my chin that quickly radiated outward. The force of it spun me around and I ended up with my arms sprawled out on the hood of the car. I tasted salt and iron on my tongue and assumed he'd busted my lip open. I quickly collected myself and clenched my fist. Pulling myself off the hood, I spun and swung at him with all the force I could muster, landing my punch right in his gut. He snorted his obvious disappointment that I wasn't much of a challenge.

I saw his fist coming at me again, this time it caught me right in the eye. The pain took my breath away for a moment. I could feel my legs giving out on me and saw the encroaching blackness swirling around me on the periphery. I clutched at the car, trying to steady myself, but missed and vaguely felt my face hit the asphalt. Out like a fucking light.

When I came to, I found myself in a car, and by the looks of the interior, it was the Mercedes. Demetri was driving, and Felix was in the back seat beside me. My right eye was quickly swelling shut and hurt like blazes along with my lip, which was still trickling blood into my mouth. My head swam and I was only partially conscious as I looked out the window trying to see if I could recognize anything. We passed a white house with black shutters on a corner and I knew immediately where we were...on Rose's street.

_Not good. Not good at all, Cullen._

"Boss wants us to tell ya, you'd better lay off the case,_ Dick," _Felix growled next to me. I looked at him cockily out of my one good eye and spat on the floor of the car, leaving a nice splattering of my blood for that bastard to clean up later.

"And if I don't?"

"You'll be sorry," he warned in a low menacing voice. "And so will she." He pointed out the window. I looked where his finger indicated and saw Rose's pristine white mansion. My stomach turned and I had to fight the urge to retch from the idea of them hurting her. Even though my head was swimming, I was conscious enough to know I'd _never_ let that happen.

He reached across me and opened the car door. "No second chances," he warned and pushed me out of the car.

I fell onto the gravel driveway on my knees, and the car sped away, the tires kicking gravel painfully into my back. I tried to stand, to get my two leaden feet under me to carry me to the door, but the blackness encroached again and I didn't have the strength to fight it. I fell forward, only vaguely aware of the pain of my eye slamming into the gravel. Before my eyes closed I saw four high heeled feet rush out of the door and run toward me, followed by muffled frightened cries. I felt Rosie's hand on my face, and it was then that I lost the battle to stay coherent and I blacked out.

* * *

**A/N**

Thanks to:

krisbcullen who is a bad influence on us all and we love her for it

theheartoflife who is full of heart and emmett. Mmmm, full of Emmett.


	11. Sleepytime Gal

**RPOV**

The scorching hot summer day had faded to a cooler night. Shivering slightly as a breeze drifted in from Lake Michigan, I slipped my arms into the pale yellow cotton sweater that had been sitting on my shoulders. Wrapping my arms around my body, I sat on the porch swing, rocking the swing absentmindedly with my feet.

I'd picked up some reports at the office that afternoon regarding the California branch, and I decided to read them in the fresh air. However, the workday had been a long one and soon my eyes began to wander, watching the setting sun and its vibrant pinks, purples, and oranges in the sky. When we were younger, Jasper and I used to sit out on the porch, watching the colors change in the sky. Daddy had told us that it was something that Mama enjoyed doing because she felt that it brought her closer to lost loved ones. A sight of beauty, reminding you to slow down and just breathe while being surrounded with their love. As I sat there, I thought of Mama and Daddy and I wondered if they were watching me, if they were okay with my decision regarding Jasper. Thinking of all the lessons Daddy had taught me through the years, I _had_ to believe they would both be happy that Jasper would be returning home soon.

The low call of a mourning dove from the weeping willow in the corner of the yard lingered in the air. Its sweet _coo-oo-oo_ called my attention to that direction and I watched the bird flutter its wings and hop to the ground in search of seeds. A car glided down the street and the bird startled, taking flight as the car drew closer. Squinting into the sun's low rays, I raised a hand to shade my eyes, trying to figure out if I knew the owner. The door swung open while the car was still in motion and I tilted my head further, trying to understand what I was seeing in front of me. A figure was pushed from the car and it took my mind a moment to realize it was Edward, falling from the cab of the car before the door slammed shut and the car sped out of sight.

My heart fell into my stomach as I leapt to my feet. Throwing open the front door I cried a quick plea for help, before running down the steps and out into the driveway. Edward had crawled up the driveway toward the path leading to the house and from the looks of things, he was a broken man. _Who did this? _I was vaguely aware of footsteps but I didn't turn to see who had joined me. All I could think about was getting to him. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, falling on my knees beside his head. "Oh my dear sweet Lord, what happened?" I cried out, as I cupped his face with my hands.

He mumbled, "Rosie... love..." and then his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Edward! Talk to me. Please, please stay awake!" I begged, lightly tapping his cheek with one hand, cradling the other side. I heard voices behind me but I couldn't focus on them. My mind couldn't focus on _anything_ until I knew he would be all right. I leaned down and whispered words into his ear. Words about us, about what he meant to me and how much I needed him. I don't know how much time passed before Emmett and Jacob were by my side, Emmett bending on his knee, his head next to mine and telling me that they would get him inside.

"Don't touch him!" I snapped. The harsh words flew out of my mouth with surprising force, a signal of how upset I was. Emmett pulled his hand away from where it gently rested on my back. With both hands grasping my shoulders, he turned me toward him, forcing me to look him in the eye. Tearfully, I took my eyes off Edward, and Emmett could read in my eyes what I was thinking.

His fingers gently squeezed as he spoke earnestly. "I know." My bottom lip trembled as he moved closer, pulling me into a light embrace. "Rosalie, I know what you're thinking. But it looks like somebody roughed him up to send him a message, not to kill him. Let's get him inside and check him out, clean him up and see what the damage is."

Jacob and Emmett placed their shoulders under Edward's armpits and effortlessly hoisted him into an easy seat carry as they moved him inside. He began mumbling incoherently and I could make out the word _Dad._ Emily walked beside me, her arm wrapped around my waist and asked if I wanted her to call the Cullens. I thought about it for a split second and ultimately decided that it would be better if I were the one to speak to them. I really felt as though leaving his side to call them would be the only way to reassure them that he'd be all right. It needed to be me. The men took Edward into the parlor while Emily got a bowl of cool water and a towel to begin cleaning up the blood. I whispered to him that I'd only be a moment.

I spoke to Carlisle briefly, sharing just the few details that I could surmise. _What had happened? _I heard Esme's muffled cries in the background as Carlisle numbly repeated my words to her. Then the two listened on the receiver together as I told them about the car and his tumble into the driveway. They rushed to get off the phone with me, hastily saying that they would be at the estate as quickly as possible. After I placed the receiver back in the cradle, I moved to sit on the floor right beside Edward, who was had been laid out on the couch.

Grasping his hand, I brought it to my lips and kissed his bruised, swollen knuckles. He cracked an eye open and while I could only see a small sliver of it, it was mostly hidden by his dark lashes and swollen face. His eyes were swollen, as were his cheeks, and there was a gash that ran from his brow to nearly his hairline. My eyes flitted frantically around his face, surveying and taking inventory of each and every injury. There was a huge bruise on his jaw, puffy and uneven, a small gash laced through it. He began to speak but before I let him say anything, my lips were on his, careful and hesitant. His hand reached around to the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair, and pulled me closer. He moaned against my lips and I pulled back, afraid I was hurting him with the added pressure he applied. Gasping, I pressed my fingers to his lips, where my lipstick had stained and whispered, "Are you all right?"

"Why did you stop kissing me?" he demanded, his gravelly voice rough.

"I thought I was hurting you!" I exclaimed as I tried to pull back and sit up. Instead, he reclaimed his hold on my head, pulling me forward.

He raised his head from the pillow and his mouth met mine, kissing my lips again. "Don't ever stop kissing me." He growled the words lowly as our lips pressed together. He shifted and pulled my body next to his, grumbling and hissing slightly as my fingers slid to his jaw and tentatively stroked the tender skin. Everyone had cleared from the room, giving us a private moment to just _be_ with one another.

"Your parents are on their way. I called them after..." I pushed my nose lightly into the crook of his neck while my eyes roamed over every inch of his face and jaw.

"Yeah? That's probably good," he mumbled as he skimmed his hand lightly up and down my back.

"What happened? Who did this and where were you? Who was in-"

He cut me off, forcing out his response as though it almost pained him to speak. "I'm not sure yet. Give me a chance to let my head stop swimming and sort out the facts. Just stay right here, okay?" We stayed locked in each others arms until I heard a knock at the front door. Emily's soft footsteps quickly made their way to the foyer and I heard her low voice telling them where we were.

Edward's parents rushed toward the parlor, pausing in the doorway as they found Edward and I locked in an embrace. Embarrassed, I moved to get up, but he only tightened his arms around me. I murmured his name under my breath and whispered that perhaps he needed to let his father examine him. He scoffed and try to brush off the suggestion but Esme made her way to the other side of the couch wearing a pained, pleading expression. His grip around my waist loosened and I stood. "Doll, would you get a piece of meat from the refrigerator? I can feel my face swelling like a son of a bitch."

"_Edward!_ Language!" Esme scolded as she moved to sit next to him and gently touched his face while Carlisle rooted around in his bag. Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but chuckle under my breath, shaking my head.

I said my proper hellos to both Carlisle and Esme before leaving the room and heading toward the kitchen. The idea of getting meat to put on his face was somewhat repulsive but I figured they knew better than I did what would help him heal. As I was walking out of the room, I heard Esme's sweet voice saying, "If anything had happened to you..." My heartstrings tugged once more at his parents dismay. They were brought together by this case and I knew that if anything had happened to Edward during it, it would quite possibly break them all. _Nothing can happen to him._

I returned with a piece of meat while Edward was in the middle of a sentence. "--ing bastards took my gun right out of my holster." Esme gasped although I wasn't sure whether it was at the sentiment or the language. I handed the piece of steak to Carlisle and he laid it on Edward's face. They appeared to be deep in conversation so I excused myself, knowing that he was in good hands with his parents and giving them some privacy. I knew I'd get the entire story later on.

I grasped onto the banister as my feet carried me up the steps. I could still hear them speaking in the parlor although I wasn't able to hear the words, just the murmur of voices and the occasional hiss as Carlisle dressed Edward's wounds. I reached the landing and fluidly entered the office. After hearing only a small portion of the conversation in the parlor, I knew what I was looking for. Round the desk, I spun the dial of the wall safe. Swinging the metal door open, my hands slid in and pulled out a rectangular box.

Undoing the clasp, I flipped the wooden box open. The dark velvet of the case nestled the cold metal of my father's Smith & Wesson .38 Special. My fingers traced the barrel of the gun and I left it sitting there in its case. I didn't feel comfortable picking it up, holding it in my hand. I left it there in the case, looking at it thoughtfully. Shutting the box, I picked it up once more and carried it out of the office. I might not be able to assist with the case, but I _could _assist with this._ First thing tomorrow._

**EPOV**

I flitted in and out of consciousness, only recognizing Rose's worried face hovering over me. I heard her frantic whispers in my ear, but I was only able to make out a few words through the fog of my concussion. Words like _don't leave_ whispered desperately, and _what happened_. For the most part her voice was a soothing jumble of incoherency, but intermittently I caught a _need_, a _want_ and I swore I heard _love _in there somewhere. I internally cursed those bastards again for fucking me up too much to be able to ask her to repeat herself.

I felt myself being carried inside and placed on the sofa in the parlor. Slowly, my faculties were coming back to me. I could hear Rose on the phone, her words running together in a jumbled mess from stress and worry. She hung up the phone, then came and sat on the floor beside the couch, her hands all over me, searching for hidden wounds and reassurance that I was in one piece. Her lips brushed mine softly, and despite my busted chin, I willed her to kiss me harder. That's the funny thing about fear, it makes you reach out and fiercely grab the things you love, determined to never let them go.

My parents arrived soon after. Mom's worried frown was an identical match to Rose's. While Dad stitched up my chin and cleaned up my eye, Rose slipped away from the room and I felt her lack of presence immediately. Dad kept working on me and before long, I was cleaned, stitched and provided with a dose of morphine. When Rose returned, she stayed by my side constantly, her hands always on me. Her red nails lightly trailed my forearm, or swept away tendrils of my hair, toyed absentmindedly with my fingers. I understood her need to feel close to me; I felt the same way, like I wanted to wrap her up in silk and slip her into my pocket to protect her from the world.

After dinner had been served we moved from the dining room to the parlor, where mom and Rose sat together cozily on the sofa. The pain killer that my father had given me had worn off, so I casually moved to the drink cart and poured myself a little bourbon to dull my headache. I shot Dad a significant look and understanding immediately, he followed me.

"Pour me a scotch, Edward," he said grimly. His tone was my tip-off of how worried he was. Somber and grave, he'd hidden his fears from Mom and Rose well.

"Anything unusual at the house today?" I asked him. I wondered if my new friends had pain a visit to his estate as well. It seemed likely. Obviously they knew where Rose lived, they'd been so kind as to give me a ride to her house that afternoon after kicking my ass. It'd be smart to assume they were watching her house and possibly, my parents house too.

"Nothing that I've been told of. I told the staff to be particularly vigilant, but I'm still not resting easy," he admitted.

I sighed heavily, not sure how to tell him the extent of what happened today, and certainly not thrilled about making him worry more. I took a swig of my bourbon and met his gaze with a heavy heart. "They threatened Rose. They said if I don't lay off the case, she'll get hurt." I gave him a moment to digest that, and lit a smoke. "They know where she lives, obviously, and frankly, this is hitting much too close to home for my comfort," I added sarcastically.

Dad's shoulders slumped, and I knew he was placing the added weight of this burden on himself. "I'm sorry I've gotten you two kids mixed up in this," he apologized sadly.

"Stow it, Dad. I'm sorry I was such a piss-poor detective this afternoon. I shouldn't have been so careless to let myself get in a jam like that." I should've predicted that our villain would assume my father would call me in on the case, even if we had been estranged for a decade. I was turning out to be a pretty sorry excuse for a detective all around.

Dad took a thoughtful sip of his scotch. "What are you going to do next?"

"What can I do? I have to keep at it. If we don't move forward, mom's safety is in jeopardy. If I keep digging, Rose is in danger. Either way, we're in hot water," I acknowledged. I caught Rose watching me from where she was seated on the couch chatting with mom. I tried to offer her a reassuring smile but she quirked her brow at me; she didn't buy it. I sighed and turned back to Dad. "Tomorrow, I'll do some more footwork, hit the library, her old job at the cleaners, see if I can dig up any more trails. What cleaners was it she worked at anyway?"

"Cole's down on Broadway."

"Right," I said, taking a long drag on my smoke. "Do me a favor, Dad. Don't let mom out of your sight. If she has to leave the house, make sure she's not alone. Give her a little pep talk about being aware of her surroundings and who she encounters. I'll have the same discussion with Rose. Thank god she's got Emmett with her all the time, or I'd be a fucking wreck," I confessed, accidentally letting a curse slip into my sentiment. I couldn't help it, I was too on edge to edit my thoughts to my father. He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Sure thing, son, we've discussed it before, but I'll remind her in light of today's events. Don't beat yourself up. We all know you're doing the best you can. Nothing is going to happen to Rose." His hand squeezed, trying to impart his faith in me through his touch. I tried to believe him, but optimism wasn't really part of my hard-ass nature.

Not long after, my parents left and Rose and I were alone for the first time since I'd been dropped off at her doorstep in less than mint condition. I took her hand and led her out to the porch swing. We sat down and swayed gently back and forth, letting the summer evening air be the soothing balm we needed after a tough day. She relaxed into me, her head resting on my shoulder and sighed in contentment. I lit a smoke and watched the cherry tip glowing in the starlight, it's smoke swirling up in abstract obscure patterns before being whisked away by the unpredictable breeze.

"I need you to do me a favor, baby doll," I began carefully. I knew Rose wasn't going to be keen on going into virtual hiding until I got this case wrapped up.

"Anything, Edward. Just name it," she said, trustingly and snuggled deeper into my side.

"I need you to be extra careful until I'm done with this case, Rose. I think they are watching the house, and you. They warned me to lay off or else..." I couldn't force my mouth to say the words that ripped my heart in two.

"Hush, darling," she cooed sitting up to look me in the eye. "Nothing will happen to me. Emmett is always with me, everywhere I go. He'd never let anything happen. Not to mention, I have a houseful of staff watching over me."

"I know, baby. But I don't know who we are up against here, or what resources they have at their disposal. I can't stomach the thought of you getting hurt." My face twisted up making my forgotten black eye throb painfully.

Her hand reached up and brushed a lock of away away from the offending eye.

"Edward, I'm a big girl and more than able to handle myself. You just focus on solving the mystery. Let me worry about me," she said confidently. I wanted to trust in that, I really did. Sure she could take care of herself against an overly friendly sales clerk or gas pump jockey, but these guys were professionals.

"Just promise me, Rosie. Let me hear you say it, _please_," I practically begged, my hand gripping hers more tightly than necessary.

She offered me a sweet smile that bordered on patronizing. "I promise, Edward. I'll be very careful and vigilant," she said and kissed me gently on the cheek.

That night in Rose's bed, I watched her sleeping beside me in the soft incandescent glow of the radio dial while Glen Miller's "Sleepytime Gal" floated around us. I laid beside her for hours and couldn't get my gears to stop turning, despite their lack of grease. It had been one damn long day, and one that I was more than ready to be done with. My overactive brain, however, wasn't ready to stop thinking. Above all else, one thing stood out among the many exciting and painful events of the day. Although my eye throbbed mercilessly and my chin stung from the pain of the stitches, I knew it was manageable. I also knew those physical pains could not remotely compare to what it would feel like if they harmed Rose. Me getting roughed up because of my involvement, and even my stupidity, was one thing. If she were hurt, I would never fucking forgive myself.

* * *

**KrisBCullen** is our lovely beta.**  
TheHeartofLife** is our inspiration.


	12. Pistol Packin' Momma

**RPOV**

I pressed my hands to my stomach and took a deep breath, trying to calm it and myself. I was a tangle of both nerves and excitement and I could feel the energy coursing through my veins, pumping through my body with each beat of my steady heart. Emmett had left nearly an hour before to finally bring Jasper home. The trial had gone exactly as Marcus had said it would. Aro's missteps had created the opening that was necessary and Jasper was acquitted of the charges without ever having to take the stand. He and I were able to speak privately at the courthouse and once again, I was able to reassure him that I wanted him to move back into the estate. His debts had been paid: to the men he ran into trouble with, to "society," and most of all, to me. I was ready and anxious for my baby brother to return.

I'd wanted to go with Emmett to retrieve Jasper from the Cook County Jail but Jasper requested that our reunion take place at home. His plea was a reasonable one, but I was antsy for them to arrive. Pacing in the foyer, I waited to hear the tell-tale sound of the Fleetwood pulling into the driveway, tires crunching on gravel and Emmett's cheerful humming alerting me to their arrival. My ears strained and my eyes flitted to the open window at every noise I heard; every passing car and every rustle of the wind through the trees caused my heart to beat faster. The smells of Jasper's favorite meal wafted through the house; Sam was going all out preparing a rib roast, potatoes with gravy, green beans with almond slivers, and dinner rolls, not to mention the pecan and cherry pies he had made earlier in the day. He knew that pecan was Jasper's favorite and being that Independence Day was only a few weeks away, he decided to make cherry pie as well. Plus, we knew that this day was a day to celebrate Jasper's freedom.

Edward had been diligently working on his case the last few days. Instead of skulking around random rail yards, he decided to take a bit more of a cautious approach, visiting the library and doing other leg work that didn't put him in harm's way. He told me it was the boring but necessary part of the job. I'd rather have him be bored and safe any day of the week. At his insistence, Emmett accompanied me everywhere, which wasn't far off from the norm but now that I knew he was _watching over me,_ it irked me a bit. Thankfully, Emmett was used to seeing me at my best and my worst and could handle my temper when I snapped every now and again. _Good egg, as always._

I heard a car in front of the house and I raced to the door, opening it wide and stepping out onto the porch. I tried to cover my disappointment when I saw it was the cab that Edward had taken back from his errands of the day, but he caught the look anyway. He squinted at me as he walked toward the porch and said, "I might be offended if I didn't know better, doll." Standing on the porch step, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a tight squeeze, welcoming him home. Leaning back, my fingers did their routine tentative dance around his face, visiting his healing bruises. They were still fairly fresh but he said they were no longer as painful as they were when it happened two nights prior.

"I have something for you." I took his hand and led him into the house. My attention shifted from waiting anxiously to presenting Edward with something I knew would help him out. He grabbed my wrist lightly and spun me around to face him, his lips crushing against mine. I pushed back, the intensity of my kiss matching his. Once more I thought about how right we were for each other and how there weren't many that could keep up with me. He did and he did it _well, _always pushing me further than I ever thought possible_._

Eventually, he pulled back and smirked at me. "Was it that?"

I smiled and teasingly ran a finger under his tie, pulling him closer. "I _always_ have that for you," my voice huskier than usual. I saw him swallow hard, his throat bobbing and I was glad to see I still had just as much an effect on him as always. "This is something a bit different." I walked to the low table near the mirror and picked up the box sitting there. I had taken the gun to the jeweler and he'd been able to do the inscription I'd requested in a quick amount of time. He polished the gun and I was able to pick it up earlier in the day while on my lunch break. Walking back to where Edward stood, I flipped the lid open, showing him the .38 Special that lay nestled in sapphire blue velvet.

"It was my father's," I stated quietly. His expression softened, his eyes quickly glancing at the gun before meeting with mine once more.

"May I?" he asked as his fingers inched toward the gun, holding back until I nodded my head. He gently lifted the gun out of its box, testing the weight in his hand, handling it with the utmost care.

"I know those goons took your gun and I know that this can't replace yours but... I don't like the idea of you out there, unarmed. I was wondering if this would be suitable for you?" My heart thudded heavily in my chest although I wasn't quite sure why. This was something that I wanted him to have but I guess that my heart knew that this was something _more._

He breathed out, placing the gun back in its case. I thought for a moment he was hesitant so I didn't point out the inscription. He put the box back on the table before returning to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. His nose pressed into my hair and I heard him inhale before placing a soft kiss along my hairline. "Sweetheart, are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Anything for you." My voice was slightly muffled as I leaned my head onto his shoulder. I felt him nod his head, a silent answer to the question of whether he'd take the weapon. My heart stopped worrying and began to swell with happiness. I began to tell him about what I had done at the jewelers but it was _then_ that I heard the Fleetwood pulling into the driveway, the gravel kicking up softly under its tires. I pulled away from Edward, holding him at arm's length and gave him a blissful smile.

"Go! He'll want to see you. I'll wash up and be with you in a few minutes." Edward seemed to understand that we needed this moment, just as he had needed time to reconnect with his parents. I leaned in and gave him a brief kiss before letting out a little yelp as he pinched my bottom when I turned for the front door.

"You're fresh!" I blew a kiss at him over my shoulder as I headed outside.

Turning my attention to the driveway, I saw Jasper getting out of the back of the car. He looked thinner than the last time I'd seen him; he'd been losing weight while he was in jail. My heart was in my throat as I walked down the pathway toward him. He brought a hand up to his hair, which was much shorter than it had been when he'd left. Our matching eyes met and his lips curved into a tentative smile. I continued walking toward him and he headed toward me, his strides matching mine. We met near the end of the path and he threw his arms around me while I did the same in return. "Good to have you home, baby bro."

"Good to be home, sis."

Arm in arm, we walked inside, my fingers gently touching the lose fabric of his clothing. He and Edward exchanged pleasantries, although I could tell he was still a bit leery of the entire situation, remembering Edward's roll in his incarceration. His eyes raked over Edward's bruised face and his brow raised questioningly when I quickly said we'd explain over supper. Things had been strained between us after Daddy's death, but for different reasons, as I now knew. They were strained again, but we knew why and hopefully would be able to get past it. If we couldn't, then we'd have to find a _new normal_, I guessed. Soon after Jasper was settled, Emily told us that supper was ready. He seemed very touched that everyone had gone to such great lengths to make him feel comfortable and welcome him back into our home once more.

While we ate our meal, we filled Jasper in on the events of Edward's case from start to finish. He listened intently, questioning here and there and grew concerned when Edward told him about Wednesday night and the _drop-off _here at the estate. His lips pressed in a thin line and I reached across the table, clasping his fist gently in my own. "I've been very careful, Jasper. I think this guy and his cohorts are spooked because Edward is getting close to figuring out what is going on. Please don't worry about me."

He grimaced. "Well, sis, I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands until I figure out what I'm going to do. So I'll worry about you since I have the time to do it, and the ambition." His grimace evened out slightly as he took a large bite of the pecan pie in front of him.

Edward smiled broadly at Jasper, wincing as he did so, the pain of stretching his bruised skin evident. I sighed, knowing that they would surely gang up on me and said nothing more. Inside, my heart sang that I had both men there and concerned for my well-being.

That evening, before I retired to my room and Edward's company, I stood in the doorway of Jasper's bedroom. His room had been untouched since he left, except to right the things that had been disturbed by the police during their investigation. Jasper sat on his bed, looking somewhat lost as he gazed around the familiar space. His eyes no longer looked as haunted as they had while he was in jail, but he looked tired.

Confirming my suspicions, he smiled at me wanly. "I think I'm going to hit the hay. This bed is going to feel more comfortable tonight than I ever appreciated before."

I nodded, smiling once more before crossing the room and hugging him to me. "Good night, Jasper. I missed you."

***  
The following day was the start of a weekend and I was grateful to have some extra time to run errands. Edward had planned to go to his parents' house in the morning and stay for lunch. He tried to cajole me into joining him, using a visit with Esme to lure me, but there were quite a few things I needed to get done. I had found a ring of my mother's tucked away in Daddy's desk a while back. I'd brought it with me to the jeweler's to be resized when I'd gone there to get the engraving work done.

Emmett and I were just wrapping up the errands and he helped me into the car after placing the packages in the trunk that we had picked up throughout the day. While I loved downtown Chicago, I was ready to make my way home. I assumed that Edward would be there and I knew that Jasper had planned on relaxing at home. I couldn't help but wonder if they were there together and how they were dealing with that. They had both assured me that they would _behave_ but you could never be too sure when male egos and machismo were involved. I'd seen it happen.

We hadn't been in the car for long when we stopped at a light. I noticed a man in the car next to us staring at me intently and I felt a bit uneasy. However, I was never one to divert my eyes, so I stared back, silently daring him to look away first. The light turned and we were moving again. Emmett was chatting about his recent trip to the pool hall with Siobhan and telling me how he actually got to teach _her_ how to play. I'll admit that I wasn't completely paying attention to what he was saying as my eyes were trained on the car beside us, which seemed to be going slightly slower than we were. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man signal to someone and I turned to an identical car on the other side of us.

The Fleetwood rolled to a stop at another stoplight, Emmett pumped the clutch slightly before easing his foot onto the brake. I was still watching the man in the car beside me, thinking he looked somewhat familiar. I didn't notice that two men had gotten out of the car behind us until they were nearly right beside our car. Startled, I let out a muffled scream as one man pushed his way into the front seat with Em; I saw a flash of a gun and then it was pressed against his ribs. The second man came into the back of the limo with me and for a brief moment, I considered trying to push my way out the other side, but my mind quickly calculated that we were surrounded.

The man next to me wrapped an arm around me and with his other hand, started to bring a white handkerchief toward my face. "Get the fuck off me," I said as I spat at him.

His laugh was low and lecherous. "The pretty little _lady _said _fuck._ Harsh word from a sweet thing like you." He sneered, whispering in my ear as his hand moved closer. I winced, turning my head and trying valiantly to move away from this man but it was no use. The cloth pressed against my face and then...

Nothing.

**EPOV**

After the clobbering, I licked my wounds and let Rosie nurse my pride, staying by her side as much as I could and worrying incessantly about her safety. Emmett was always with her as she'd gone to the Jasper's trial and run her errands over the last few days. I knew damn well he'd stand between her and anyone that wanted to hurt her, but that wasn't fucking good enough. As loyal and strong as Emmett was, he could still be overpowered. So I stayed by her, leaving her side only when I had to work on the case, knowing that there was safety in numbers. When I wasn't by her side I couldn't shake the feeling that something might have happened, and if hadn't already, it was going to soon.

Thursday, I tore myself away from Rose and focused on the gumshoe work I'd been neglecting. First, I made a phone call to Garrett and asked him to check out the license plate number for me, too. He agreed easily and I was grateful once again that I'd stepped in and saved his ass over that poker game years ago. It was handy to have a buddy at the County Clerk's office.

Next, I dragged my ass off to the library. I usually enjoyed my job, but I had to admit the research aspect of it left much to be desired. Spending the day in the library sorting through months of old wedding announcements in old news papers was not my idea of fun. I was only able to stick with it because I believed I'd find him, my needle in a haystack. After six hours of tedium and too many daydreams of seducing Rosie in a dark, book camouflaged corner while daring her to be silent with low whispers, I had nothing to show for my efforts. I put my fedora on my aching head and went home to Rosie's house.

_No dark corners tonight, but maybe some smooth white satin instead._

Friday, I paid a visit to Cole's cleaners where I talked to her boss, Mr. Banner. He certainly remembered Maria as being a diligent worker and always on time. He couldn't remember ever seeing her with any men, nor did he have any idea about her next of kin. Lucky for me he was able to furnish me with an address where she'd told him she lived; a girl's boarding house in the area. I jotted the information down on my notepad, grateful that maybe I'd caught a break. He apologized for not having more information and said he was sad to hear of her passing. "Such a respectable, sweet girl," he said sadly. I nodded my head solemnly as I ducked out the door.

The street was lined with various shops and restaurants, even a motel or two. I decided to ask the locals some questions as I made my way to the boarding house. I figured Maria would have frequented the surrounding businesses since she worked on the block. Hell, maybe she and lover-boy had gotten a room at the motel down the street. I poked my nose everywhere, talked to proprietors and sales clerks, waitresses and newsstand boys. None of them could tell me anything. Of course it would have been fucking helpful if I had a photograph to flash around, but I just had the description dad had given me. Nevertheless, it seemed lover-boy had been pretty careful and covered their tracks well. No one could tell me jack.

Miss Newton, the woman who ran the boarding house had plenty to say about Maria, but nothing about any male friends or visitors.

"Having men around ain't allowed," she told me with an exaggerated hand on her hip. "Same goes fer drinking and smoking. And there's a curfew, nine o'clock, even on Saturday nights. Only respectable girls live here." Miss Newton obviously took her job very seriously. _Poor girls._

"You never had any trouble from her, did she ever confide in you?"

She pursed her lips, thinking. "One month she had trouble paying her rent. I knew she'd just lost her father in the War and she and her Ma had a falling out. I told her not to worry about being short that month. Poor girl, I could tell she was embarrassed about it and didn't have anyone to help her."

I smiled softly at her; that was generous, a rare trait that I didn't run into often on the job.

"When she told you she was moving out, what did she say?"

"That she was going back home to Indianapolis to help out her Ma. I was surprised, but figured they must have gotten over their argument. Mothers and daughters fight all the time," she stated matter-of-factly. I nodded in agreement; she'd have known better than I would.

"Did she ever mention...that she was pregnant?" I asked, lowering my voice on the last word. Ms. Newton's eyes showed her disbelieving shock.

"No," she whispered. "Is she alright, Mr. Cullen?"

"She passed on, giving birth," I confessed. "The child survived and I'm trying to track down the father."

She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at the corner of her eye. "I wish I could help you with that, I never saw any men with her, and I didn't know she was in a family way. She must have hid it very well."

"It seems she hid a lot of things very well," I returned.

When I got back to Rosie's house, the place was in a state of subdued uproar. Rose's excitement about Jasper's homecoming was contagious, and even though I wasn't one hundred percent certain I trusted Jasper, I couldn't rob Rose of the happiness that colored her cheeks and lit up her eyes. When I got out of the cab, I read the disappointment that I wasn't Jasper plainly on her beautiful face.

She pulled me inside, telling me she had something for me and being affectionate and fucking adorable. I reached out and caught her wrist spinning her around and pulling her against me. My lips crashed into hers and for a moment I was able to forget everything that was wrong with the case. For a moment there was nothing but me and my baby doll. My rigid, insistent lips danced against her soft eager ones, and I let myself relish the taste of her.

"Was it that?" I asked hopefully as I reluctantly broke the kiss and pulled away from her.

"I _always_ have that for you," she confessed as she toyed with my tie. "This is something a bit different," she continued and pulled away from me to move toward the entryway table. I hadn't noticed the wooden box sitting there when I'd come in; Rosie had thoroughly distracted me. She plucked the box off the table and brought it to me, opening the lid to show me the treasure inside.

"It was my father's," she explained and looked at me expectantly. Of course, I guessed as much. I didn't miss the flicker of grief that flashed in her eyes and that it still pained her to speak of him. I turned my attention to the box. Nestled in royal blue velvet was a beauty of a gun, a Smith & Wesson .38 Special that gleamed like liquid mercury in the afternoon light. I looked at her questioningly.

"May I?" I asked hesitantly. I'd be a moron not to understand its sentimental value to her. She nodded encouragingly, so I hefted the gun out of the velvet lined box and got a feel for it. The fit of the smooth wooden handle in my palm felt as perfect as Rose's hip, cradled in my hand. I was perfectly balanced in my hand, the ideal weight for a hand gun. It was as if it were made for me, just like Rose. It was a gorgeous piece to be sure, one that had been well cared for and recently cleaned.

"I know those goons took your gun and I know that this can't replace yours but...I don't like the idea of you out there, unarmed. I was wondering if this would be suitable for you?"

She _said _it so formally, but I knew her formal tone wasn't indicative of her feelings. In fact, I think it was safe to say I was the only person on the planet that knew the full meaning of the gift she was offering me. I knew damn well everything that had belonged to her father meant more to her than all the money he'd left her. Each thing he'd touched and collected and been fond of was tied to a memory of him, and she was giving me this memory. She was offering to give me one of her precious memories housed in a rich blue velvet box so that I would be safe.

_You lucky-son-of-a-bitch, Cullen. She just might love you, too. _

I placed the gun back in the box and snaked my arms around her waist, bringing her to me. "Sweetheart, are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she said resolutely. "Anything for you." I just smiled and repressed the urge to squeeze her silly. She began to speak, but the distinctive sound of the Fleetwood's tires crunching on the driveway told us Jasper was home. Her lovely face blossomed in a frisson of breathtaking beauty as she pulled away from me. I released her with a playful pinch and a promise to meet her after I'd washed up; I left her to have a private reunion with Jasper.

At dinner, I watched her glowing happiness and contemplated her motivation for helping Jasper after what had happened. She'd never be able to _forget_ what Jasper had done, but she had been able to forgive him. Rose placed her family above everything else; she was loaded with unswerving loyalty. She'd likely give up anything she had to keep the ones she loved safe. All the while, I observed Jasper with a friendly, nonchalant scrutiny. I laughed at their playful teasing and listened to their easy conversation all evening. As the hours passed, I saw that they'd started to mend the pieces, trying to recapture what they had before. Just like _my _family, Rose's would never be the same.

That night I had a nightmare. It woke me from a dead sleep, but I couldn't remember details. All I knew was that I'd lost something _really _fucking important.

In the morning, while Rose was out running errands, I went up to her office to use the phone. While I'd been up all night worrying, I remembered I had never called Garrett after I asked him to check out the license plate number. It was an incredibly stupid oversight on my part and one I'd berated myself for all night and morning. I gave the operator the number and lit a smoke, waiting for him to pick up.

"Garrett, property records department." The boredom in his voice was unmistakable. I didn't envy him his job as a paper shuffler, even if it equated to a steady paycheck.

"Garrett, it's Cullen."

"Hiya, Eddie! I was wondering when I'd hear your sweet voice again. You promised you'd call sooner."

"I was with a _real_ girl, ya sally. Remember what that's like?"

"You keep promising to introduce me to one of the sweet little numbers I used to see you palling around with," he reminded me.

"Tell me you've got something for me, and I'll hand over my address book, buddy," I said sincerely. I really needed to catch a break in this case and I had Rosie; I didn't want random dames in my life.

"Well then I guess it's my lucky day! Edward Cullen's address book... I imagine that's better than winning the sweepstakes."

"Spill it, Garrett. Clock's ticking," I reminded him.

"Alright, fine. You know I love to shake your cage, Cullen. Anything to entertain me while I'm stuck in this joint," he mumbled to himself; I could hear papers shuffling in the background. "Seems like you're a lucky bastard, too, pal. The building and the car are both owned by King Rail Lines."

I nearly choked on the drag I'd just taken. Royce King was the owner and president of King Rail, one of the premier luxury passenger rail outfits in the Midwest. The handkerchief I'd found had the initials RK and Maria mentioned her man needed an heir to his railroad fortune. Seems like Garrett had single-handedly solved the case.

"Thanks, buddy. Now I owe you one. Gotta go."

"Hand over your little black book and we'll call it even."

I chuckled. "It's all yours, Garrett. I'll drop it off and buy ya a drink for your trouble," I said sincerely and hung up with him to call a cab. I wanted to pay a visit to my parents' house.

I had a leisurely lunch with my folks and told them everything I'd learned including the name of our suspect. They were visibly relieved but I reminded them the case wasn't over yet. I wanted to poke my nose around a little bit more, just to be absolutely sure I had my man. Even though the day had been productive and I had a name to investigate, I still hadn't been able to shake the unease of my nightmare.

The sun sank lower in the sky, having reached its zenith hours ago. Rosie was sure to be home from her errands and dinner would be served soon. The events of the last week had put things into the proper perspective, and I'd finally come to understand what is important once you grow the fuck up. I was anxious to get home to her, mainly because there was something I'd decided while I sat in the cozy glow of my parent's living room. I watched my mother and father interact with the timeless love of decades of marriage. Their easy familiarity and security in each other was a shining example of something I wanted to have; a future filled with loving acceptance. Yes, I was anxious to get home to talk to Rose about the future.

I began to take my leave, telling them I needed to get back because Rose would be waiting for an update. I called a cab, and just as I hung up the receiver, the phone rang. Dad answered, and it sounded like one of his patients from the sound of the questions he was asking. I knew this was my opportunity. I pulled mom aside and quickly whispered in her ear. I needed a favor, and I needed it just from her. Dad would have complicated matters.

"Now, Mom, don't get yourself all worked up when you hear what I have to say," I warned her as we walked toward the foyer.

"Edward, is something wro-" she said, alarmed.

"Not anything beyond the usual," I said dryly. "I need you to give me something," I bit my lip nervously. I felt like I was suddenly sweating bullets. I tugged at my collar and pulled my tie loose.

Her hands went to my face, one on each cheek and the calming warmth that only a mother's touch can inspire radiated from her hands. "Edward, just tell me what you need, honey."

I smiled awkwardly and took a deep breath as her hands fell away. She always knew what I needed to hear. I gathered up my courage and tried again.

"I need...I want..." I stammered moronically.

_Just spit it out, you want this. _

"Can you give me Grandma's ring?" I finally managed to blurt out. The joy that lit her face was unmatched as understanding began to dawn over her. She stared to say god knows what with the excited glee of a five year old on Christmas. I gave her a stern look, reminding her of how I'd started this little speech. She closed her mouth with a pop and with a quick and earnest, "I'll be right back," she practically floated up the stairs.

What seemed like mere seconds later, she was beside me, pressing a tiny black leather and gilt trimmed ring box into my hand. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me softly on the cheek.

"Your father and I would be so happy for you, and her, Edward, " she said, her eyes glowing with maternal pride.

"We'll see, Mom," I told her, patting her hand resting on my forearm. I looked back over my shoulder. Dad was still on the phone with his patient. He waved at me, gesturing to the phone, his signal he'd be tied up for a while.

I pecked Mom on the cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow," I promised, and left to grab onto my future.

As I sat in the backseat of the yellow cab, the foreboding I felt from my nightmare returned in full force. When we pulled into Rose's driveway, I hurriedly paid the cabbie and raced up the steps. The house was eerily quiet, no signs of the usual early evening hubbub of dinner being prepared or the radio playing. In fact, it felt like no one was around. My mind replayed flashes of muffled cries and flaxen wheat, rope and the scent of moldy concrete. I pulled Rose closer to me, burying my face in her neck and tried push back the images every time I shut my eyes. But I couldn't.

I ran into the parlor, which was empty. Next I ran upstairs to Rose's bedroom, flinging the doors open and calling her name hopefully. Her musical voice didn't answer; I only found the teasing smell of her perfume. I found Jasper in Rose's office surrounded by the staff. Emily was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, Jasper was pacing nervously, his shoulder tense and his eyes tight.

She should have been home long before me; she didn't have that much to do from what she'd told me this morning. It didn't need to be spoken; we all seemed to know something was wrong.

"No one has heard from her or seen her since she left this afternoon?" I got a bevy of _that's right_ and _Yes, Sir_s back in reply.

"Where's Emmett?" I asked nervously.

"He hasn't come home either, Mr. Edward," Emily said with a frown, confirming my worst fears had come true.

For hours we waited for word of her. Royce wouldn't be interested in money; he had plenty of his own. He wanted his son, but he wasn't getting him, either. I sat in her desk chair and smoked a whole pack of Lucky's, waiting out the excruciating torment of not knowing. Left to my imagination I conjured all sorts of awful things they might have to done to her and fucking trust me, I thought of just as many infinitely _worse_ ways to make them suffer in return. Jasper chatted nervously about what to do and the mutual horror we were suffering through bonded us together more than anything else could have. The girl both of us loved was in trouble.

At last, the phone rang with shrill insistence, its high trilling tearing through the somber silence that sat heavily in the room. All of us jumped and our eyes darted to one another. A mixture of relief and fear and anxiety touched our faces. My hand lunged for the receiver, and brought it to my ear wondering how in the fuck I was going to stay calm enough to find out where she was.

"Hale residence, Cullen speaking," I blurted tightly,

"Just the _dick_ I wanted to speak with," a calm, disgustingly smooth voice insulted.

"Where is she?" I demanded, too pissed to engage in fake pleasantries.

"My boys warned you to lay off the case, Cullen. You shoulda listened."

"Where _is_ she?" I growled.

"Right here with me," he said slowly and I noted the underlying tone of desire in his voice.

"What do you want?"

"What I've wanted all along and what I know you won't be bringing to me: my son. I'll have to take out my disappointment on someone. I have a feeling toots here could be very consoling," he chuckled and I thought I heard Rose yelling in the background.

I thought for a second I might black out from rage. "You touch her, you son-of-a-bitch, and I'll kill you."

"Too late," he said lightly, carelessly.

If I'd had the strength, I would have pulverized the phone receiver in my murderous grip.

* * *

**KrisBCullen** is our lovely and kind beta. She's been super crazy lately and we appreciate her taking time for MGF despite everything!

**TheHeartofLife **is our Snood

We seemed to have some tech issues today, with Google Docs deleting some words and fanfictionnet being 10 shades of fail. Please forgive any errors and we'd appreciate it if you PM'd us about anything you found. Thanks for understanding! :)


	13. There Will Never Be Another You

**RPOV**

The sounds of car doors slamming and muffled voices drew me from a heavy sleep. Disoriented and weak, my mind was fuzzy with confusion. Automatically, my body and mind were in search of the gentle hands that usually rested on my hips, drawing me close to him. The nose that skimmed my shoulder and neck and the lips that would always trail soon after were sadly missing.

My eyelids tried to flutter open but met with resistance as my lashes brushed against a heavy dark cloth. Valiantly, my mind tried to play catch up, tried to remember the last thing that had happened. I heard the car door nearest to me swing open and felt a rush of warm air against my skin. With that, the thoughts came flooding back to me, rushing my mind like a maelstrom and pulling me under. I turned my face toward the open door of the Fleetwood and tried to swing my feet to the floor, attempting to right myself.

The cloth that was on my eyes let a bit of light through, although it was only enough that I could tell the sun was low in the sky. A pair of thick paws wrapped around each of my arms and I tried unsuccessfully to squirm away. He just chortled blackly, pulling my body out of the car as though I were a rag doll, easily lifting me into the air so my feet hung a few inches from the ground. I took the opportunity of my free-swinging feet to kick, trying to catch his leg with my heeled shoe. The effort was fruitless; the only thing I succeeded in doing was giving him a reason to squeeze my arms more tightly.

His heavy voice was hot in my ear as he held me tighter to his body. "Looks like our feisty little kitten here still has some bite in her."

I was unable to say anything back, as I had a gag wrapped around my mouth, mimicking the cloth further up on my face against my eyes. The cloth dug painfully into the sides of my mouth and I pressed my tongue against the coarse fabric, attempting to make any semblance of words that I could but falling short.

"Felix, bring the driver over here." I heard a voice behind me bark out the order and felt the air near my left side shift, as though there were people walking. The man holding me lowered my feet to the ground, but kept the same tight grasp on my forearms. Clamping my teeth around the intruding fabric, I turned my face toward them. I needed to talk to Emmett, needed to make sure he was okay and needed to get us out of here. I knew that I was powerless and it was frustrating.

Without warning, there was a sudden scuffle. I heard muffled voices and curses spit amongst frantic shouts. Punches were thrown and my arms were freed as the man holding me let go. Not able to see or talk, I shuffled backwards, knowing the car was right behind me. My wrists were bound behind me and I felt the still warm curves of the car under my palms. I heard Emmett's low voice growl at me under his breath, "Rosalie, _run._"

I tried. But without the sense of sight and my hands bound tightly behind my back, I didn't stand a chance. I'd gotten no more than a few steps when the large mitts grabbed me once more. The muscles in my neck strained as I tried to pull away but it was no use. The man wrapped one arm around my shoulders, pulling me flush against his body, his other hand came up and harshly ripped the blindfold from my eyes, pulling my hair along with it. I blinked furiously as the light assaulted my vision. My eyes widened when they landed on Emmett, there were two men flanking him and one had a pistol pointing at his head. His face was bloodied and his mouth was turned down in a frown.

"You see what happens when you try the funny business?" The man on Emmett's right side looked at me while he pressed the gun further into Emmett's temple. _I know him! _What was Royce King's involvement with all of this?

Then suddenly, it made sense. The handkerchief, the diary, his wife. I knew of his wife and I knew how crazy she was and how she was unable to bear children. The pieces of the puzzle clicked together in my mind at once. _He_ was the man that Edward was searching for, _he _was the man who had threatened Carlisle. My eyes flashed at the gun and then back to his eyes, silently pleading with him to stop. "Felix, let's bring this one to the front room." He nodded his head at the man standing on Emmett's left side. "Demetri," he looked to the man who had me pressed to his body, "take her to the back. The others are already inside. No doubt Cullen will be around eventually and we won't be making this easy for him. _Or _for her."

"You got it, boss." Demetri walked me toward a door, but my eyes were trained on Emmett and I watched as Royce took the butt of his gun and slammed it onto the back of Emmett's head. I gasped around the gag and felt an angry tear slide down my face as I raised my eyes up to heaven. _Please God, don't let them hurt him. Let him be okay! _The two men dragged him in the other direction as Demetri pushed me forward. My feet wanted to resist him but they were no match for the large man.

The warehouse was dingy and dimly lit. Demetri was not gentle as he pushed me toward our destination. I didn't want to give him any opportunity to think that I wasn't cooperating, despite the fact that I was mad and scared. We walked into a large, desolate room; only a few wooden crates and chairs were scattered about. There were high windows but the sun was low in the sky and it was getting darker, both inside and out. He dragged a chair to one of the beams that ran floor to ceiling and forced me down, so I was seated. Quickly he secured the chair against the beam before retying my hands around both the chair and the beam. He left the blindfold off and looked down at me, seedy and lustful.

"Just the way a woman should be - _quiet_." His finger ran along the gag and I resisted the urge to turn my head and give him any clue that I was disgusted by him. I held my head high as he stood over me contemplating something. He untied the gag and suggested I do something _useful _with my mouth. Disgusted, I started yelling, spewing curses in his direction and telling him exactly what would happen should _any _part of him make its way toward my mouth. The gag was replaced almost immediately and Felix appeared in the large open doorway.

His eyes flicked between the two of us before settling on Demetri who had securely tied the gag around my head once more, tangling it with my hair. I knew better to make noises of complaint even though it smarted. "Demetri. Boss is on a phone call but he wants you in with the big guy. He's heading back here, wants some time with little lady."

Demetri shrugged as he pulled his lighter and cigarettes from a pocket. "I could go for smoke. Let's check on the driver and then head out to the stoop for a few minutes. You know what the Boss said about smoking in here."

They both headed out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I tried to work my hands out of the rope that bound them together but it was no use, there was no give whatsoever. I believed that Edward would be coming soon but in my mind couldn't help but think: _What if this is it?_ I couldn't understand why Royce King would kidnap _me. _I wouldn't be able to get the baby back to him and didn't understand why he'd involve me with this.

I'd just gotten Jasper back into my life.

I needed Emmett safe and always in my life.

I wanted Edward in my life, forever. I hadn't told him that. I _needed_ to tell him that.

Just then, I saw Royce appear in the same doorway that Demetri and Felix and exited a few moments before.

"Rosalie Hale. Never thought that we'd have the pleasure of being together, just you and I." His voice was dark and I couldn't help but wonder what Maria had seen in this slimeball. "Too bad Cullen got to you first. You and I could have made some pretty babies. I don't take anybody's sloppy seconds, though." He circled around behind me. "Of course, no reason we can't tango now, doll." The implication of his statement made me shudder and I did my best to hide my reaction. It was clear that he had gone off the deep end, his eyes were wide and crazed and he kept pushing his hands through his hair, pulling on the strands.

I knew I needed for him to keep talking. I raised my eyes to him and silently goaded him on, willing him to talk.

"My wife was never supposed to find out about Maria, about anything. She was my saving grace. Something that got me away from the monotony of my daily work and the craziness that was my wife. When I found her sitting there by the lake, I knew I needed her to be mine. She started as a fling and became more of an obsession. I had to be near her, no matter what the price. Fuck, I knew she was a virgin, and that one day I just snapped. My wife had been yelling, as she always was, and I just went to the dry cleaner's because I knew that's where Maria worked. I didn't even _think _about what I was doing, what _we _were doing. Maria just took my mind away from everything_._" He ranted like a mad man and I sat there, the disgusted feeling overwhelming. I knew I had to play my part. I sat, blinking my lashes at him and nearly grateful for the gag in my mouth at this point, keeping me from sharing my true emotions of what a coward he was.

On and on he spoke of what we had learned from Maria's journal, the details that Edward had told me about, only from _his _side. "...then Dr. Cullen just _had _to go and get in contact with his dick son, your boy, Cullen. If he had just done what he was supposed to, if he had gotten the brat back from the family he found, then we wouldn't be here right now. But no." His eyes flashed murderously as he became enraged again while he recalled that things hadn't gone the way he had planned. "No. So, here we are. Eye for an eye?" In that moment, he moved closer toward to and leaned into my ear. His breath stank of alcohol and sourness as he breathed into my ear, "Tooth for a tooth?"

My eyes scanned the room once more and I wondered when Edward was going to arrive. I knew it was only a matter of time but if he could hurry up, it would lessen the chance of something happening with this goon. I saw red once more as I closed my eyes, attempting to steady myself and my thoughts. _Think Rosalie. Think!_

**EPOV**

"What do you fucking want?" I repeated to Royce, the bastard that was holding my baby doll captive. Jasper moved to my side, his expression tight and angry.

"Come by the warehouse where my boys gave you that pretty shiner and find out. I dare you," he taunted. "And, _dick_, I know you're not so dim you'd call the coppers. Toots here would be sorry if you did," he warned smoothly before hanging up the phone.

I slammed the telephone receiver down on its base and leaned over her desk, my palms face down on her leather blotter, and started sorting through my options. I wasn't stupid enough to call the cops but I also wasn't stupid enough to try to walk in there alone, or at least without back up.

"Well?" Jasper demanded worriedly.

"Royce King has Rose at a warehouse down in the industrial part of town. I'm not sure what he wants or what his plan for Rose is. He said no cops," I explained in clipped sentences that betrayed my frustrated worry.

"Well, let's go," Jasper's calm voice said simply beside me. I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about him coming. I wasn't positive I trusted him and if anything happened to him, I'd feel responsible and I have to explain that to Rose. On the other hand, what fucking choice did I have? I didn't know how many hoodlums Royce had on his side. My tight unsure eyes met Jasper's determined gaze. They then traveled over every face in the room. They were Rose's employees, yet each was her friend and just as much her family as Jasper was. They all watched me tensely, waiting for me to tell them how we were going to get her back, how this was all going to work out and that she'd be home safe soon. I wished beyond anything I could have told them that and meant it, but false hope wasn't my forte.

"I'm not really giving you a choice, you know, she's my sister," Jasper said plainly, "And, you need me," he tacked on suddenly. He was damn right about that.

I nodded slightly and wasted no time. "We need a car and you need a gun."

"My car is out in the garage and running like a champ. Em kept it in shape for me while I was gone..." he trailed off on the last few words and I smiled at him.

_Now's your chance to redeem yourself, buddy._

"Good, Jasper. Get the car and meet me out front in two seconds. I'm gonna call Sergeant Swan and tell him to bring the cavalry in about half an hour. Hopefully, that will give us enough time to get Rose out before tipping off that bastard. You still need a gun," I said more to myself than to him. Suddenly Sam spoke up.

"I've got my uncle's old pistol," he volunteered suddenly as if just remembering he owned a firearm. With an encouraging nod from Jasper, he sprinted off to retrieve it. Jasper followed behind him.

I picked up the phone and rang Sergeant Swan. After a quick debriefing of the situation, he promised he'd be there with his regiment in precisely half an hour. I hung up the phone before running out of the room, down the stairs and jumping into Jasper's running car.

Once, a handful of months ago, I'd sat in the back of a cab and suffered through what I thought had been the longest car ride of my life. Now I was seated in Jasper's '37 Olds L Coupe trying to suppress a maniacal laugh at the memory. Only now did I have an inkling as to what worry really fucking was. As Jasper speed his way though the darkening backstreets of Chicago I tried not to think about what they might have done to her, but my imagination could be really fucking creative. My line of work had afforded me the opportunity to see the heinousness mankind was capable of. If their dark evil touched my golden angel, my wrath would make them wish for the devil's mercy.

I told Jasper to park a few blocks away so we could sneak up on foot. As we drew close to the warehouse, he shut the lights off and switched off the engine, coasting silently alongside the curb before he parked. We looked at each other, both our bodies alert and ready for whatever we were about to face together. I drew out my gun and made sure it was loaded. Jasper did the same.

"Look, I don't know what's going to happen once we go in there. We may not come out." I tipped my hat up and looked him dead in the eye.

"I owe her this," he said with a tense regretful jaw. "I'd rather lose my life protecting her than keep living, ashamed for being a coward and ashamed of what I've done to her," he finished resolutely.

"Just follow my lead and don't get yourself hurt. Rosie would kill me," I said and peered down the street trying to see the front entrance to the building, wishing I had binoculars. I assumed there'd be at least one man at both doors, the front and the side. We quickly hashed out a loose plan and with a nervous hand, I opened the car door and stepped onto the sidewalk.

We approached the building as silently as possible. A few doors down, I halted and peered into the darkness, trying to see the front entrance and if it was being guarded. I watched anxiously, hoping King was an idiot and hadn't sent someone to be on the lookout. Of course, I wasn't that fucking lucky. In the shadow of the overhang, the glowing orange embers of two cigarettes betrayed a the first of many obstacles that stood between me and making Rose safe. I watched them emerge from their hiding place and recognized them immediately. Felix's hulking mass was unmistakable as he turned and went back inside. Demetri took a few casual steps down the stoop, and now two had become one. Maybe I had some luck after all.

"Give me a smoke," Jasper whispered, his eyes trained on our target, too. I cocked an eyebrow at him incredulously; it was hardly the time for a cigarette. He rolled his eyes when I didn't answer right away. "I'll ask him for a light, and while I've got him occupied, you come up behind him, knock him out with your gun." My hand dipped into my jacket breast pocket and pulled out a Lucky for him.

Casually, Jasper started to stroll down the street with a practiced cockiness that was a side effect of prison time. I crept behind him, sticking close to the walls beside me until Jasper was at the bottom of the stoop, talking to Demetri who'd was on the sidewalk now. I pulled my gun out, gripping the barrel tightly. Jasper had positioned himself so that joker's back was to me as I came up behind him, clocking him in the back of the head. He started to go down, but Jasper caught him. Together, we carried him up the steps. At the top, I cautiously opened the door and threw up a silent prayer that we'd be walking back out of it soon.

We slipped inside the building, me going first with my gun drawn and ready. I let go of my grip on Demetri and told Jasper to stay put for a minute while I tried to find a place to stash him. There were doors all around me, opening up to long corridors with more doors. After the fifth one, I found one thing I was looking for, Emmett. I quickly motioned for Jasper to bring sleeping beauty and follow me.

Emmett was tied to a chair, his mouth taped. He was trying to break free from the ropes around his hands and his ankles. His relief that we had come was obvious as his shoulders relaxed and he stopped struggling. I shot him a quick look of apology before gripping the corner of the thick tape over his mouth and ripped it off with a swift jerk. His eyes crinkled from the smarting pain but it didn't stop him from telling me what happened while I worked furiously to untie the rope at his wrists.

"We pulled up to a stoplight, completely boxed in by other cars. Two men got out of the car behind us, and got in the limo. One guy jumped in the back seat with Rose and one in front with me. That asshole in back covered Rose's mouth with something and it knocked her out. They both had guns and told me where to drive while the car behind us followed." It all tumbled out in a low urgent rush of horror. Jasper met my furious, fearful gaze. I knew by his look, he'd be just as angry as I would if they touched her. We freed Emmett's hands and feet, he stood and continued in a low whisper. I helped Jasper put Demetri on the chair and we quickly tied him up. Emmett continued the story as we made short work of it.

"When we got here they forced us out of the car and I threw a few punches trying to give Rose a chance to run, but she couldn't of course. Her hands were tied and she'd been blindfolded. It was 4 to 2 and then I got clocked in the back of the head. When I came to, I was tied up in here."

"So you don't know where she is?" I asked.

"No, Edward. Sorry," he answered remorsefully. "I'm sorry I didn't protect her better."

I gripped his shoulder tightly, trying to remove the guilt wrinkling his forehead. "You did what you could, Em. We're going to find her, she'll be okay," I handed him Demetri's gun and really fucking hoped I was right.

I sighed and adjusted my fedora. "Well, it's show time, boys. The cops should be here any minute. We have to find Rose. Em, how many did you say there were?"

"I saw four."

"Four," I repeated, thinking. "We took one out already, but there's a good chance there could be more and we can assume they all have guns." I surmised grimly. None of us liked the odds, but we had to do something to help her.

I looked at the gun in my hand. I'd never pulled the trigger on the job before. I'd often wondered if I'd be able to go through with it. I knew that _this _time, there'd be no question, no hesitation. Rose was my everything and as long as I was breathing, I'd willingly die protecting her. It was that realization that made me finally understand just how much I was in love with her. As I held her father's gun in my hand, I hoped that if I had to pull the trigger the bullets would find their mark.

"Let's go get our girl," I said with determination and we left the room in search of her and the bastards that took her away from us.

We searched room after room; finally, as we drew near the back, I heard muffled voices and shuffling feet. I went first, sneaking up to the doorway. Jasper stayed back a covered me while Emmett kept an eye out, each convinced we would be discovered any second. I stopped next to the door and peered into the a cavernous space realizing this was the warehouse. I heard a male voice and saw the back of two heads, one much taller than the other. The taller guy had to be Felix; my face and memory still had a good feel for that particular goon. The other guy was doing all the talking; figuring he was in charge, I assumed it was Royce. Glancing around, I saw a few wooden crates not too far from the door and hidden in partial darkness. Perfect cover for our purposes. I motioned for Jasper and Emmett to follow me and we crept through the door one at a time, the two who weren't moving ready to provide cover and protection should the other one be spotted. From that vantage point I took in what I could of the room.

What I saw, besides the broad backs of two men, was Rose. I forced myself to resist the nearly irresistible impulse to ignore safety and rush to her. At first glance she seemed okay. The more my trained eye examined her I realized her hair was disheveled, the top few buttons of her dress were undone and her skirt was up around her thighs. More than anything she was pissed off, anger was definitely the dominant emotion on her face. Whatever they'd done to her hadn't broken her; it had only stirred the wasp's nest, and I knew from personal experience, pissed Rosie was a force to be reckoned with.

I never knew murderous fury until that moment. If they had touched her… I...I couldn't even think about _that_, I'd end up shooting them all. Now. Instead I tried to focus on the fact that she was alive. Her hands were bound behind her and she sat there seething and shooting daggers at Royce and his henchmen. I knew my baby would do everything she could to get us out of this jam. I counted her as much of a weapon as the gun I had in my hand.

_The gun in my hand_. I looked down at it adoringly. The light shimmered along it's frame just right, and I noticed something I hadn't before, an inscription on the frame. I assumed it was something someone had done for her father. I brought the gun closer to my face to read it in the dim light.

_"E, To keep you safe and bring you home to me - Rose"_ it read in elegant script.

My heart clenched. I was counting on it keep her safe so she could _be _my home.

My enraged stare went back to her face. Something made her peer into the darkness where I was hiding. Maybe she felt the weight of my stare, full of fear and love for her and hatred for those bastards, but something made her look straight at me. In her eyes, I saw the furious worried plotting of trying to save her own skin transform to total and utter relief once she knew I was there to save her. I loved her so much in that moment, my heart almost broke. Even when the odds were stacked so horribly against us, she knew beyond any doubt that I could rescue her. No matter how misplaced her faith was, what mattered was her faith was always in me. She trusted me implicitly, and I realized I wasn't just the luckiest son of a bitch in Chicago. I was the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.

I mouthed a silent "I love you," fucking praying she saw it. I didn't know what was going to happen in the next five minutes, and I needed her to know. She must have seen me, because her eyes blinked in shock before her brow furrowed with longing and forgetting herself for a moment, she whimpered.

"What's that, sugar?" Royce turned to her, eyeing the creamy legs I coveted, and I had to repress a hateful hiss.

Rose looked up at him and seductively winked. I couldn't hold back the hiss that time. Jasper's hand on my shoulder kept me steady, barely.

"Easy, Edward. Rose is using _her _weapon, give her a chance." A low growl of frustration rumbled in my throat. He was right. As much I didn't want to let her continue, I knew it was our best hope. I had to trust her enough to give her a chance. Royce moved behind her and untied the cloth gagging her mouth.

"I just don't see why we can't come to an…understanding," she said and brought the toe of her shoe lazily up the inside of Royce's calf, over his knee, up his thigh. I watched in a state of enraged helpless torture, clenching my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter. His sinister eyes grew wide and appreciative as her looked down at her. She offered him a coquettish whimper inspiring him to grunt disgustingly.

"Felix, take a fiver," he commanded and I could tell Rose was suppressing the urge to shudder. I suppressed the urge to shoot him. _Barely_.

Now was our chance. "Follow him and put him, and anyone else you find, out of commission until the cops show up. Royce is mine." I whispered to Jasper and Emmett. They nodded and snuck out of the door as quietly as cat burglars. I turned my attention back to Rose.

Royce slithered behind the pole she was tied to and quickly unfastened the ropes. Her eyes were trained on mine the entire time. I willed her to be strong, to go through with whatever crazy idea she'd cooked up. The moment the ropes fell from her wrists to the floor, I knew this asshole was mine. He came back around and stood in front of her. His fat well-manicured fingers roughly grabbed her chin and yanked it up, forcing her to tear her eyes from mine. She stood and brought her hands up between them, her red fingernails lazily tracing up the lapels of his suit jacket. That was more than my jealous nature could handle.

I emerged from my hiding place, keeping in mind that I didn't know if he had a gun on him. I took a step forward and saw Rose's hands curl around his neck. I took another step; his hands slid around her waist, bringing her breasts within mere inches of brushing against him. I was going insane watching this, all while trying to use my only advantage; surprise. I was almost to him now, just a few feet more and he'd be introduced to my gun. I saw Rose's fingers playing with his hair which nearly ruined me; it drove me wild when she did it to me.

Finally I was right behind him and I didn't hesitate. I shoved the barrel of my gun in his ribs. "Take your fucking hands off her and put 'em where I can see 'em," I growled. "One wrong move and you'll lose more than a kidney."

He chuckled but slowly pulled his hands away from Rose and put them up. "Don't be sore, Cullen. We were just getting to the fun part."

I pushed my gun harder into his ribcage. "Rose, search him." She didn't waste time going right for his holster. _She _must have known he had a gun, she knew right where to find it. Good thing I'd let her take the lead, as hellish as watching it had been. She extracted the gun from his holster and stepped back again, his gun held surely in her hands and pointed at him.

"You're a fucking tease," he spat at her and, god fucking help me, my finger itched to pull the trigger. I hardly registered that Rose had let the gun fall to her side and had stepped forward, standing right in front of him. I raged an internal war not to shoot and make up some story to the cops while Rose was taking matters into her own hands. Her fury finally caught my attention; I'd never seen her so pissed off. She was glorious. Her hand pulled back and flew forward, landing square in Royce's kisser.

"That's from Emmett," she spat angrily. "And this is from me," and swiftly kneed Royce right in the balls.

_That's my baby doll._

I laughed as he doubled over in agony and I pushed him toward the chair he'd tied Rose to. Pulling out my handcuffs, I secured his arms around the pole, making sure he'd stay put until the cops showed up.

I flew to Rose and pulled her to me. I needed to check on Jasper and Emmett, but I had to hold her for just a moment first. I had to feel her against _me _and no one else. "Are you okay, baby?"

"Fine," she whispered and her arms went around my neck, pulling me to her with a force she'd never shown before.

"It's over now, Rose, I'm here."

"I know," she said plainly. "I knew you'd come."

"I'll always come," I whispered against her forehead. Taking her hand I led her out in search of Jasper and Emmett. it wasn't long before we caught up with them. They tied Felix up with Demetri and had rounded up a fourth lackey, too. Now, all we could do was play the waiting game until Swan and the cavalry showed up.

Finally I could appreciate that it was over, and that Rose was safe beside me. I brought my hand up and brushed my fingertips from her jaw to her chin, tilting her face to me. My lips met hers began to dance tenderly together. This kiss felt different to me than any other before. Maybe it was the sweetness of relief that she was safe or perhaps it was the engagement ring burning a hole in my pocket. One thing was certain; I never wanted it to end. I never want to be without the option of reaching out and pressing my eager craving lips to her soft loving ones. Always accepting, always believing, always _willing_.

_She must be near me._

Always.

* * *

A/N - **KrisBCullen **is our fantastic beta. We love her!

**TheHeartofLife **is our baby doll.

My Girl Friday is winding down. One more chapter and then we say goodbye to Dickward and his baby doll, Rosalie (for now?). We really appreciate your love and support through everything and we can't quit each other so we'll probably be back with something else... who knows when!

ETA - We are working hard on the last chapter but we've had a big week so it's not going to post on Friday, 5/7. Hoping to get it up ASAP but we want to make sure we go out with a bang! Keep an eye out.

Have you heard about the Twilight Counsel? Big things happening within the fandom - the Twilight Counsel is a place to nurture creativity and growth. If it's something you think you'd be interested in, give us a shout! twilightcounsel at gmail dot com


	14. The Man I Love

**RPOV**

Once we were reunited, Edward's eyes did not stray from me. As he spoke to Sergeant Swan, he retained an air of professionalism, but a hand was always resting on me. Though his words were directed at the men in the uniforms asking him questions, the answers were canned, perfunctory and mechanical. Sergeant Swan's questions faded when he saw that he wasn't going to get much further and Edward muttered something about stopping by the precinct in the morning. Edward continued to stare at me, his fingers splayed across my lower back as though I would disappear from under his fingers, and Swan dismissed us. Swan's gentle eyes met mine and I smiled, almost apologetically, but he nodded, finally granting us leave to reunite more privately, and completely, back at the estate.

I rested my head on his shoulder as we walked out of the warehouse toward the Fleetwood. I knew I had to be strong, had to be keep myself together until he and I were alone. His hand fit perfectly on my hip has he held me tightly to his side. Much to Emmett's chagrin, Edward insisted on driving home. Emmett protested, but once Edward got an idea in his head, there was no getting around it. We were quite similar in that respect. Emmett climbed into the back of the car and Edward and I walked around the back, my skirt flitting the chrome metal bumper. Before I got into the car, he pulled my arms around his neck and pushed me gently into the side of the car. "I've got you, Rosie. You're safe and you are _my_ home."

In that moment, I knew he had seen my message to him on the gun. I would have never thought this would be the way he'd find it, but I was happy he did. It was my own whispered, "I love you" message in the dark.

The car ride from the warehouse to the estate was surreal, Emmett and I in the back of the car while Edward was in the front, driving. My mind would have found it a bit funny if it weren't still envisioning Royce's leer and his dirty hands touching me.

Emmett continued to apologize to me until I rested my hand on his forearm and begged him to stop. "I'm _fine, _Emmett. Please. I'm more concerned about _you." _I had him lean down so I could look at the back of his head and the large welt that had formed from the jolting slam of the butt of Royce's gun. I fussed as I looked at the bump, wondering aloud whether we should call Edward's father or swing by the Cullen's house.

I knew that my attention toward Emmett and his injuries was a way of blocking my feelings, but it was necessary. I continued on until Emmett put a stop to my fretting. His large hand clasped over mine and he promised that he would see Carlisle in the morning. He assured me that he felt fine and that he wouldn't be alone during the night. I blinked at the declaration a few times and his eyebrows raised at me, hinting at the exact meaning. Nodding my head vigorously, I shut my trap and saw his shoulders shake as he chuckled at my reaction.

I continually saw concerned flashes of green in the rear view mirror and finally I leaned forward in the seat, whispering "Eyes on the road, Cullen," before leaning back on the mohair once more, winking at him. I saw his eyes crinkle and I knew that, even though I couldn't see it, he was smiling.

While I tried to play it cool, I knew it was only a matter of time before we'd be alone together and my walls would come down. I was torn about expressing my feelings but even more, I was torn as to what I was actually feeling. The events of the evening were daunting and while I had no question in my mind that Edward would arrive to save the day, it still was an ordeal that I wished had never happened.

I watched as we drew closer to the estate and my eyes found Edward's in the mirror once more. Such a range of emotions were visible within the small mirror. Now, they held a different expression and it was one I wasn't used to seeing, one that was difficult for me to decipher.

Both Edward and Emily insisted that I eat something, even though my stomach was still twisted in knots from the events of the day. Refusing them was pointless. He sat beside me as I ate my sandwich, refusing one of his own. Jasper sat across the table from us while Edward was next to me. After I had finished eating, Jasper excused himself, rounding the table and leaning down toward me. His lips met my hairline and he cradled my face for a moment. I grabbed his hand with mine and pulled him closer, giving him a hug. "You really came through, Jasper. I... I'm so very grateful."

His eyes were soft and in that moment, he reminded me of our father, through and through. "You would have done the same for me." He planted another kiss on my head before walking to the door. "Oh, and Rosalie? I'm so proud of you. I only wish I got to see your Joe Louis moment instead of just hearing about it." I smiled at his reference to the boxer who'd recently won the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. He grinned back and began to whistle, tapping his hand on the door frame he walked out of the dining room. I heard his whistling fade as he walked down the hall but my mind jumped back once again to Royce leering over me and my swift punch to his face, the sickening sound it made as my knuckles hit his face. I rubbed my hand absentmindedly until Edward grabbed it, bringing it to his lips.

His actions were sweet and sincere but I could tell that he was hiding something, hiding some feeling away that he didn't want me to see. Once more I attempted to analyze the expression, which was carefully stoic but the hidden feeling shone clearly in his eyes. _Daddy always told me that you can tell someone's true intentions by their eyes._ They always _were _Edward's tell and I could see something there that didn't quite make sense to me.

Guilt.

I started to ask him what he was thinking but Emily appeared at that moment. She cleared my plate and held me to her before bidding us a good night. We adjourned up the stairs to my room, to _our_ room. I knew that while we were there all the carefully crafted walls that we put up for others would fall and we'd see each other for who we truly were. While I was the one who wore make up on my face, we both did a good job of hiding things from others. Never from each other, though.

I sat at my vanity, running my brush through my hair, the requisite hundred strokes. Edward lay on the bed, uncharacteristically quiet, watching me. He seemed to sense my need to work things through my head, to come to an inner peace. Now I was the one watching him in the mirror, my eyes trained on him while I absently went through the motions.

No longer interested in my regimen, I rose suddenly, placing the brush down and sitting next to him on the bed. His fingers flitted to my exposed neck, swiping from hallow to base. Questioningly, my eyes searched his for an explanation.

"There was a bit of dirt... from the warehouse, I guess?"

Of course. My feelings reflected the grit that I'd picked up in the filth of _that place_. I could see how Edward's job could make someone hard and rough around the edges. I only felt it minimally after one night and I remember that first meeting when he came off the same way. Something had changed between then and now and I could only think it was me. Still, I allowed myself to share, "I _feel _dirty." A few tears that I didn't know were there found their way down my cheeks. My body collapsed on his and I took a few moments to just feel his arms gently wrapped around me, listening to his quiet reassurances that I was safe and home and _his._

The thoughts were seeping in from the afternoon, even with his calming words and light kisses along my hairline. I wanted to wash away the soiled memories and from my body. Rising once more, I quickly wiped my cheekbones with the palm of my hand before his hand caught my free one. He played with it, threading his long fingers through mine.

"Where do you think you're going?"

My smile was present but strained. I leaned down to kiss him. "I'll be back in just a moment. I need a quick shower." My mind jumped back to the time in his apartment when he'd asked hopefully if I would be joining him in _his_ shower. I repeated his question now but he just shook his head, explaining that he had some things to think about.

I made my way into the bathroom, looking forward to the warm water and the cleansing of both body and mind. We still had things to discuss but I knew that once I felt clean, the conversation would flow. It always did.

**EPOV**

I shut the door behind us and kept my focus on Rose, watching as she went to sit at her vanity. Tendrils of her hair had freed themselves from the confines of her chignon and it was much too untidy for Rose's taste. She quickly pulled the netted chignon away and the pins holding it in place. Plucking up her hairbrush she began a routine I'd watched countless times. She'd sit demurely at the vanity and brush the minimum one hundred strokes while I'd lie on the bed, transfixed and unabashedly watching her. She'd feel the heat of my stare and toss her hair over her shoulder pretending to be switching sides. Then she'd grace me with a coy flirty fucking smile. This time though, she wasn't smiling at me, tempting me as usual. She wasn't with me at all. Her head was still in a dingy warehouse that smelled like moldy concrete.

I sighed as I took off my suit jacket and lay it down on the bed, propping myself up on my elbow. I was quiet as I watched her, allowing her that moment to think and make some sense of the evening. I watched her pull her boar's hair brush through her hair and wondered what she was thinking. Your average dame would probably be in a state of hysterics, or at the very least wanting to talk about what had happened. Not Rosie though. I wondered if she was just trying to protect my feelings, or if she really was that strong and brave. I knew she was, under usual circumstances, but tonight's circumstances were far from fucking usual and her silence worried me a little.

She rose from the vanity and sat down on the edge of the bed near me. I moved to the edge to sit beside her and as she turned to face me, I noticed a smudge of dirt on her buttermilk white neck. My fingertips brushed away the grime soiling her, I had to remove all traces of the evil that had dirtied her. She looked at me curiously and smiled softly at my explanation.

"I _feel_ dirty," she confessed, but the tears welling in her eyes told me so much more. My arms snaked around her while I peppered her forehead with soft kisses and promised her that it was all over and she was okay and I was there for her. She let me hold her and soothe her and take care of her for a a little while. Then, with a quick kiss, she left me to take a shower. I realized then that Rose just needed a little time to put things in perspective. I smiled softly back at her and told her I'd wait for her on the bed.

As I listened to the water running through the pipes, I thought about the ring box in my jacket pocket. I couldn't decide how to bring it up or if she was ready to hear it. The more I thought about it, I decided that not planning it out would be better; I'd just ask her when the right moment came. Despite the tiny butterflies in my stomach, I couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would be. It was a little frightening to acknowledge the power that outwardly insignificant black leather box held over me. Under its lid nestled in black satin was a ring that would symbolize my devotion to her. Only Rose had the power to transform the symbol into reality, and it all depended on if she'd consent to be mine.

To be perfectly frank, I wasn't entirely sure she'd say yes. Rose was so independent and this was a huge step forward. If you'd have asked me a year ago if I thought I'd be getting hitched, I'd have said there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell. I'd venture Rose would have said the same thing, in a more..._elegant_ manner of course. That's exactly why we were so perfect for each other. Independence was a trait we each admired in the other and we respected the need to maintain that to a point. She when she left me to take her shower, I understood immediately and allowed her the space she needed. That was the best way to take care of Rose.

It made me sick that her physical safety was put in jeopardy because of my profession. I wasn't sure how to fix that problem, but I knew I had to find a way to make sure nothing like this ever happened again. I had to do whatever it would take to keep her out of harm's way. That's when it dawned on me. Being a husband meant thinking of the other person first, putting your wife before yourself and putting someone else's needs above your own.

_Time to fucking grow up and be a man, Cullen._

There was no doubt in my mind I was finally ready to do that. I was ready to take care of her. I didn't mean coddle her, but simply make a promise to her that no matter what, I'd be there to back her up and that I'd always try to rescue her. As long as she wanted rescuing.

The door to the bathroom slowly opened and Rose emerged looking lovely, every visible trace washed away. Her face was flushed from the steaming hot water and wrapped in a long peach colored silk robe. I smiled broadly at her when I caught her eye. She smiled back and climbed into the bed, lying on her side and scooting herself against me as closely as she could. Her arm wrapped itself around my chest and squeezed tightly. She lifted her head off the pillow for me to slide my arm under, while the other wrapped around her, pulling her to me just as tightly.

"Rose," I started to tell her how worried I'd been, how horrified I was at the thought of anything happening to her and that I loved her. But none of that came out of my mouth. "Rose, I'll never let anything like that happen again," I murmured instead as my hand drew little patterns on her back. I wasn't sure how I'd keep that promise _and _keep up my job, but I'd _find_ a way.

"You can't always protect me, Edward. All you can do is promise that you'll always come for me, just like you did tonight," she whispered back. It wasn't nearly fucking good enough to my way of thinking but I let it go. For now. I released her from my grip and sat up. Gently sliding my hands to her knees, I let them play there for a moment before slowly pulling them apart. Once she understood what I wanted, Rose shifted her position and I shifted myself between her legs. I leaned over her, our hips matching up perfectly and rested my forehead over her heart.

"That's a promise, baby doll," I vowed solemnly. She exhaled deeply and I felt a little bit of her tension melt away. I wished I could've said the same for myself. Her slender fingers ran through my hair and my grip around her tightened with false hope that my own stress from tonight's ordeal would somehow be diffused the closer she was to me. She was here, alive and safe and warm, and that should've been enough. But it wasn't. I wasn't close enough to her to make it feel real yet. I needed to prove that we were still vibrant and here _together_.

I lifted my head and looked into the depths of her blue eyes looking for the extra push I needed to spit it out.

_What's wrong with you, Cullen? Just fucking tell her you love her._

"Rose, I need to tell you-" Her finger flew to my lips and silenced me.

"You don't have to say it, Edward."

"I don't?" My eyes crinkled in confusion.

"Nope. I already know."

"And you? Do you…feel the same way?" I asked hesitantly. I wasn't generally the type to doubt myself, but Rose made me vulnerable. She held a power over me no one else had.

"Ya know, for being a detective, you aren't very quick on the uptake," she teased lightly. Her playful little smirk told me she was shaking off the eventful evening.

"But I-"

"Stop talking, Edward. In fact, you'd better stop thinking too, while you're at it." And with that, she grabbed my tie and pulled me toward her. Then she shut me up with a deep, passionate kiss.

That was all the green light I needed. I laughed at myself, remembering when I'd said that before, the night of the gala months ago. We had the same passion then too, but it was driven lust, not to mention one fucking distracting red dress.

_Things feel different now, Cullen, and you know it. There's something else going on this time. This isn't just about lips and tongues and hands and--_

"Edward, stop thinking," she commanded. I stifled a chuckle; she knew me so well. I thought of that little black box and smiled against her lips as we kept kissing. Her hands quickly unraveled the knot of my tie while I untied her robe. I rolled over onto my side and propped myself on my elbow, giving me a better view of her lovely face. My hand moved up to her collarbone, my fingers slid under the lapel of her robe. Her skin turned to goose-flesh and she shivered while my fingers made their languid way over her breast and nipple, down along the sinuous curve of her waist and over her hip, finally pushing the robe off one side of her body.

Her trembling hands reached for the buttons of my shirt and made quick work of them before she pulled the shirt off my shoulders. I sat up on my knees and finished the job, tossing it on the floor and then pulling off my undershirt on one swift movement. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Rose licking her lips. I ginned back at her wickedly.

_The feeling's completely mutual, Rose. _

She sat up beside me and her hands moved to my fly. She reached up and pulled my pants and boxers down, to my knees. I sat back down beside her and pulled them off my feet, along with my socks and shoes. My gaze went back to Rose. Her eyes took me in, _all_ of me and her lips curled in a possessive smirk. I cupped her face in my hands and coaxed her back on to the satin pillows. I couldn't ignore the underlying current of insistence that blended perfectly with the tenderness in her touch. Her fingers flitted over me gently, and although her hands were slow and tender, her mouth was devouring mine with a ravenous need that took my fucking breath away.

I broke the kiss to catch my breath. "What do you want, baby doll?" I whispered, wrapping my arm around her waist and curling her against me while my other hand threaded through her hair.

"Mmmmm, just you, all night. Every night," she cooed breathlessly. I chuckled and my eyes darted to my jacket, where the little box was hidden.

_Every fucking night._ I brought my forehead to hers and a hand to either side of her head. Our eyes locked and for a moment I believed in heaven beyond any doubt, because I saw it reflected back at me from the depths on her soul.

"You amaze me, Rose." I brought my lips to hers and coaxed her back onto the pillows. For hours I worshiped her, determined to leave no part of her unexplored. My…_expedition_ taught me Rose squealed like a child when I'd nibble her knee as my hand held her ankle securely against my shoulder; she couldn't escape me. Yet she went wild when my lips grazed along her hip bone. She'd arch her hips off of the bed, eager to be closer to their firm insistence, moving herself closer to my mouth, begging for me to taste her.

My hand moved between her legs, two fingers carefully dipped into her while my thumb slid upward to her peak. I started with controlled rhythmic movements, increasing in speed as her breathing did and watched her in fascination. Her skin was dewy in her desire, her cheeks flushed with florid heat and her lips glistening and seeking mine. She was…_glorious_. I remembered being awestruck by her beauty when I first met her. As I watched her head toss and heard her moaning my name as I brought her to the brink of blissful oblivion, I was awestruck again by the chance this beautiful, fascinating creature would let me hang around her indefinitely.

_You're the luckiest son-of-a-bitch in the universe, Cullen. _

She was frantic now; her groans evolved into cries and her hips lifted off the bed to meet my hand. I started to shift my position to pull a condom out of the nightstand drawer, but Rose pushed me back down and threw a leg over me, straddling me. She leaned over me and reached for the drawer. The position made her breasts brush against my face and I took one in each hand. Lifting my head, I wrapped my lips around one hardened nipple, suckling and nibbling as I greedily palmed the other, making it clear I was fucking _ready_ for her.

She tore open the little envelope marked "Devil Skin" and slid it on me effortlessly. I smiled, remembering the first time and how much she'd blossomed sexually since then. That's why I wasn't shocked in the least when she grasped me at my base, and guided me, a smile of wicked indulgence dancing across her glowing face. She took me in fully, resting her weight on me as she sat and paused for a moment, letting us both revel in that moment of perfection. She leaned forward and our eyes locked again, and that's when I saw it. In the devoted blue depths of her eyes, it was there glowing like a lighthouse to always lead me safely home to her.

_She loves me. _

It was enough to make me come. She sat up again and started to move, setting a quick, deep pace. I brought my hands to her hips, pulling her down deeper as I brought my hips up to meet her. Her head fell backward making her breasts jut out, refusing to be ignored. My hands traveled up and cupped them, rolling her nipples between my thumb and finger. I slid one hand down between her legs again in search of the place I knew would finish her. My thumb had no trouble and as I started rub and stroke, her cries became loud and more desperate. She was almost there and so was I. Her pace quickened and I had no trouble matching it as I met her again and again. Her pitch grew higher and my finger moved faster and we were there together, in _that_ moment of loving perfection when we fell off the brink, together. She fell forward on me and we melted into each other for a few minutes, taking the time to appreciate _that_ moment and savor it. Soon, she reluctantly pulled herself off of me and rolled over. I rolled toward her and gave her a soft kiss before getting up and heading to the john.

When I came out of the bathroom, I went to my suit jacket to pull out my smokes and lit one. As I tucked my pack of Lucky's and Zippo back into my pocket, I pulled out the tiny black leather box. My eyes flitted to Rose, who was under the satin sheet, sitting propped up by all those pillows and watching me closely. I took a drag of my Lucky and looked down at the possible future in my hand once more.

_Stop being a pussy._

I exhaled with a whoosh. "Catch, Rose" I said and tossed the box gently to her. She caught it with an easy grace and examined it for a few seconds. The smile that spread across her face could have arguably rivaled the birth of our Sun for brilliance. Her eyes flew to mine.

"Whaddya say, baby doll?" I asked, grinning like an idiot.

**RPOV**

Edward returned after a quick trip to the bathroom and lit the traditional after sex Lucky. He stood next to the bed, thoughtful expression on his face before gently lobbing a small leather box in my direction. My breath hitched for a moment while my mind raced at what it might contain. I caught the box with one hand and flicked the lid open, my heart pounding and threatening to jump from my chest when I looked down.

It wasn't him on bended knee in front of family and friends. At one time in my life, I had dreams of how this event would come to pass. That was before the past year, before everything had happened. He wasn't able to ask my father's permission but it was my father who had brought us together, in a manner of thinking, and the thought alone made me smile and my eyes shine with happy tears.

A beautiful diamond ring twinkled up at me and from its look alone, I knew it was one that had been in his family for years. It wasn't shiny and new, it wasn't what convention would dictate someone leading my life would have.

I wanted it just the same. I loved it because I loved the man its promise was attached to.

My eyes jumped from the ring to him, standing there beside the bed with an easy grin on his face.

"Whaddya say, baby doll?"

I decided to tease him, as it was our way. I rose to my knees and shuffled to the edge of the bed, close to where he stood, the box in my hand. Coyly, I looked down at the ring in the box and then back up at him. "'Whaddya say?' Really, Edward. That's anything but a conventional way to ask for my hand in marriage."

He set the cigarette he'd been smoking down in the crystal ashtray on my nightstand and it's a good thing he did. Once I began moving toward him, I couldn't stop; I managed to place the box down on the bed before throwing myself at him, our bodies colliding as he caught me. My arms twisted behind him, holding my chest flush against his, both hands spread widely across his back as my legs wrapped around his hips. He stood holding me and I breathed out, a fast and hot exhale. His words danced in my hair and surrounded my head. "I don't want _just_ your hand. I want all of you. Besides, _we_ are anything but conventional."

Our relationship swirled in my head, from our first meeting at Lou's restaurant, to the gala and the night that we spent in this very room, my cosmetics strewn across the floor for the first (but not last) time. Our times together at his apartment or when I was able to help him on the "easy" cases, as he called them. Spending days in the beating summer sun and returning to the house to the staff who stopped being staff long ago and became family. No, we weren't conventional, but that's what made us good.

Considering Edward's assertion that we were unconventional, I had to agree with him. "But we work." My grin was just as wide and ridiculous as his. This wasn't expected but none of it was when I was with him. He kept me on my toes and never let me get complacent. He was everything I always wanted and needed.

The grin had never left his face but it widened as I leaned over, reaching for his cigarette to take a quick drag. It was a show of our give and take, our letting each other pick up dirty habits while bettering one another, each step of the way. He tilted his head back and his eyes roamed my face. "So... you wanna?"

Throwing my arms around his neck once more, I kissed him long and hard. "Yes!"

The end... for us. For now.

* * *

**A/N - **KrisBCullen has been with us every step of the way - from way back in November when we first dreamed up this crazy little Roseward story. She's been our cheerleader, our confidant, and an amazing beta/friend. She's a good egg.

HeartofLife is as much a part of this as we are.

Thanks to everyone who's read and supported us. We know we are unconventional but thank you for playing along! We are sad to come to the end but happy for where we've gone with this story. If you are too, let us know.

_Thanks Lore. YMBFAILY. _


End file.
